The Stalker
by daxy
Summary: A new detective is in town. And a new criminal. Both are interested in the same man; single-father Horatio Caine
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: A new detective is in town. And a new criminal. Both are interested in the same man; single-father Horatio Caine.**

**Rating: M (for some sexual content)**

**AN: This takes place before season one. Megan Donner is not part of this story in any way whatsoever. **

**-I-**

Small feet walked up the stairs, dragging a big teddy bear with one arm on the floor and still with the pajamas on. Finally reaching the second floor, the boy put his little hand on the handle to the first room on the left and opened the door wide. He walked over to the king size bed and poked the arm on sleeping occupant with his finger. The grown man stirred and groaned, before giving a big yawn and finally opening his eyes to see his son smiling at him.

"Good morning, Kyle." Horatio said.

"Morning daddy."

Horatio scooted over to the middle of the bed so Kyle could climb in next to him. The boy made sure his teddy bear, named Tristan, was with him; since he was his best friend. Given to him by Uncle Frank when he was just a baby.

"What time is it daddy?" The boy asked.

He was quite good at speaking, even though he was only four. Horatio yawned again before answering.

"Six in the morning."

Kyle Caine was an early riser just like his father. Had it been during the weekend father and son would have probably gone back to sleep soon, but as it was Monday it was time for daycare and work.

Horatio was a single-father. He had been since Kyle was only four months old. Kyle's mother Julia had been abruptly taken from the world at the hands of a car thief. Kyle had no memory of his beloved mother and it saddened Horatio that his son would never know her. She had been a fantastic woman. They had gotten married just two months before Kyle was born. A small ceremony with only their family and closest friends. Horatio's little brother Raymond had been his best man.

"Did you and Tristan sleep okay?" Horatio asked.

"Yes. Tristan had a bad dream."

"About what?"

Kyle shrugged and Horatio smiled. Without Kyle Horatio wasn't sure if would have been able to handle Julia's sudden death. Kyle was his everything. Horatio lived and breathed for the boy. Sometimes his friends worried that he hadn't really moved on after Julia. If they knew that their worries were correct they would have an intervention and Horatio was not in the mood for that.

"Maybe you can visit me in the lab later today." Horatio said, "Would you like that?"

"Yes! Can I see Uncle Frank?"

"Of course."

"And Auntie Alexx?"

"Absolutely, buddy. All of them." Horatio smiled.

Frank and Alexx were Kyle's godparents. Francis used to take Kyle out for ice cream sometimes; treating the boy as if he was his own. Calleigh was "Aunt Callee" and Speed was Uncle Tim. Eric had only been on the team for five months and Kyle hadn't yet started to refer to the man as "Uncle". Although, they bonded very well.

"You hungry?"

Kyle nodded and then handed his father his teddy bear. Horatio took the bear and frowned.

"What is it, son?"

"Tristan needs a bath."

Horatio smelled the bear; nothing. He didn't have any spots on him either.

"Why?" He asked.

"He spilled milk."

The boy had a sippy cup especially for Tristan the teddy bear. This wasn't the first time Tristan had spilled milk, but it was the first time it required a bath.

"He spilled all over himself?"

"Yes. See?" Kyle pointed at Tristan's chest and Horatio slapped his hand against his forehead.

"Of course! There it is." He said, "Oh well, I'll give him a bath and you pick out your clothes for today."

The boy nodded and climbed out of the bed before going down the stairs. Horatio simply put Tristan on the bed while he got dressed. He put on his suit and then walked into the bathroom with Tristan. He splashed some water in his face and then some on Tristan so Kyle wouldn't think that his father had not washed the bear.

He heard Kyle call for him and he walked downstairs into his son's room. Kyle had picked out some black jeans and a t-shirt with Ice Age figures on them. The boy loved Ice Age more than anything in the world; well, except Tristan. He even had Ice Age underwear picked out and put on him.

"Tristan is clean." Horatio smiled and handed the bear back to Kyle.

The boy inspected his friend closely and then grinned at his father and whispered a silent "thank you". Horatio helped Kyle put on his clothes and then while the boy played with his toys he made breakfast.

He loved mornings like this. When he hadn't been called away early for work. When he could make his son and himself breakfast and prepare for the day. He could hear Kyle talking to Tristan about the importance of a seatbelt as he played with his toy cars. Then, apparently, Tristan needed to rest so Sid (from Ice Age of course) had be enough in the meantime. With Sid in one arm the boy walked into the kitchen.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Sid eat with me?"

"Sure, but he'll have to sit in his own chair." Horatio smiled.

Kyle nodded. When breakfast was done, Horatio put Kyle in his chair. Sid sat next to Kyle on one side and Horatio on the other. Kyle told his father what he had done the day before at the daycare; since Horatio had been home late and hadn't been able to talk with Kyle the night before.

"And then Emma fell!"

"Ouch, she didn't get hurt did she?"

"No, she was okay." Kyle said and then sighed as he finished eating, "I'm full."

"I bet you are."

Horatio helped his son down on the floor (the chair being a bit big for him and Horatio being a bit overprotective as always) and then they both brushed their teeth. It was a windy day so Kyle got to wear his new jacket. While driving to the daycare Kyle talked about how much he wanted to visit the lab. It wasn't unusual for the boy to be there during lunch or the afternoon.

"Can we see Ray?" Kyle asked.

Ray Jr, Horatio's nephew and son of his dead brother, was only a year older than Kyle. The boys got along very well and loved to play with each other. It also gave Horatio a chance to talk with Yelina. She was his sister-in-law and a widow. They needed to be there for each other. Some people thought they were dating, but they weren't.

"Here we are." Horatio said, as he pulled up at the daycare.

By now it was raining and Kyle and his father hurried inside the small building. Kyle hugged his father tight and Horatio kissed his head.

"We'll see each other soon, son." Horatio said, always finding it heartbreaking to have to leave his boy.

"I know."

"Charlie will pick you up."

"Okay." Kyle nodded.

Once he was out of his jacket and shoes, he ran away to the other kids and Horatio left. Charlie, or rather Charlize Hammond, was a friend of Alexx's cousin Marie. She was a young, tough woman, whom loved children. She used to pick Kyle up from the daycare in the afternoon and take him home; usually have dinner with him and, if he could make it, Horatio as well. She also babysat on the rare occasions the redhead actually went out and did something without his son.

Charlie was more like an older sister to Kyle than a nanny. Horatio was so very lucky to have her.

**-I-**

Work was going slow and Horatio found it difficult to focus on the paperwork. He looked at his wrist watch again and smiled; only an hour left and then Kyle and Charlie would be by. There was a knock on the door and it opened to reveal Calleigh and Speed on the other side. Horatio waved them inside and they sat down on the two guest chairs.

"Hey H, I got the trace results from last week's homicide." Speed said, "The blue stuff found on the victim is just colorized sugar."

"Not so strange, the victim was a baker." Horatio said.

"Exactly. However, I found gun powder on his right hand. And get this; cocaine on both his hands."

"Maybe he was baking drug muffins." Calleigh said, reading from her file, "He didn't own a gun and the gun we found don't match the bullet in his wound."

"But for the gunshot residue to still be on him he had to have fired a gun recently." Horatio said.

"Yes. His sister owns a gun that was reported stolen two weeks ago." Calleigh said, "It matches the one found at the scene."

"So he has his sister's gun, he recently fired a gun, but he was shot with another weapon." Speed said, "Is it just me or does still smell like sibling-murder."

"The sister killed the brother with another gun than her own?" Horatio asked, "Maybe if she owns more than two guns and didn't think we would catch on to it."

"The victim probably shot at whoever shot him and that person stole the gun." Speed shrugged.

"To make it look like a suicide." Horatio said, "And then there is the cocaine."

"What is cocaine?" A voice said from the door.

Everyone looked Kyle Caine and then heard a woman calling for him.

"Hey! Don't run away from me, you could get hurt."

The door opened wider and Charlie appeared behind Kyle. The boy grinned and ran to his dad, giving him a hug.

"Hey buddy! You're early." He smiled.

"Yeah, Charlie said we could be." Kyle grinned, "Hi Callee, Hi Tim!"

"Hey kid." Speed said and Calleigh bent over the desk to give the little guy a kiss on the cheek.

Charlie slumped down on the couch and sighed. Kyle kept her on her feet very much and he was always in motion. He was much like his father when it came to appearing and disappearing all the time; not to mention moving quiet as a mouse.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"What is cocaine?"

"Something very, very bad." Horatio said, "Did you listen to our whole conversation?"

Horatio worried that Kyle would start talking about all the things daddy talked about at work. He wasn't sure how the daycare teachers would like to hear a four-year-old talk about homicides, suicides and all details it included.

"Can I get a dog?" Kyle asked.

"Why do you want one?"

"Tim has one."

"Yes he does." Horatio said.

"Huh?" Speed asked, "Oh yeah, right. The little thing that keeps biting my furniture ever since my girlfriend moved in with me."

Speed had had a relationship with a woman since a year back and she loved little dogs. Speed hated them and they usually hated him back.

"A dog is no good, son. He might take Tristan." Horatio said.

"Who the hell is that?" Speed asked and got a look from the other adults, "Sorry, who is that?"

"My bear." Kyle said.

"You don't remember Tristan?" Charlie asked, "The teddy bear he drags with him all the time at home."

"Oh that one!" Speed exclaimed, "Yeah, I remember now. Well kid, it was fun meeting you again, but I have things to do."

"Bye Tim!"

Speed ruffled the boy's hair and then left the room. Calleigh talked some more with Horatio, before leaving too. Charlie went with the redhead and his son to the break room for some coffee and pizza. Kyle was delighted when he heard that it seemed like his father would be able to get off work in time to have dinner with him and Charlie. It wasn't too uncommon that Horatio didn't have dinner with them, as he sometimes got home in the middle off a case, spent an hour with Kyle and then went back to work.

How the man managed to do both was beyond most people's understanding.

"I heard someone was visiting."

"Alexx!" Kyle exclaimed happily and jumped off his chair.

He ran into the arms of the waiting medical examiner and hugged her. Alexx picked him up and kissed his cheek. She sat down by the table and Charlie handed her a slice of pizza. Kyle happily told Alexx about what had happened since they had last met; only four days ago.

"And today Charlie lemme lissen to her i..." Kyle trailed off and looked at Charlie for help.

"Ipod, sweetie." Charlie grinned.

"Ipod." Kyle smiled.

"Oh, what kind of music was on it?" Alexx asked.

Kyle shrugged. He didn't listen much to music, except when his father played the piano at home. That was something he had not gotten from Horatio, his lack of interested in music. He was, however, very much interested in drawing; like his mother.

"Okay little man, we got to get home. I promised you to practice on swimming didn't I?" Charlie said, once lunch was over.

Kyle smiled and gave his father a long hug, before taking Charlie's hand and leaving. Horatio had a pool in the backyard and Kyle loved it; it was also where Charlie was teaching him how to swim. Alexx gave Horatio a cup of coffee and then took one for herself.

"How are you doing, sweetheart?" She asked.

Horatio smiled; Alexx was surely a mother hen. She probably asked Horatio how he was doing ten times a day. He appreciated that she cared though. She was a dear friend.

"I'm good."

Alexx raised her eyebrows as if saying "try again". Horatio sighed and looked down at the cup of coffee in his hands.

"I'm fine, really." He said.

"Sweetheart, Frank told me you still have Julia's clothes in the closet." Alexx said.

Nobody wanted to rush Horatio with moving on. They knew Julia would always be the love of his life. But after four years, it concerned them that he had yet to take her clothes away. It was part of moving on. They weren't sure exactly how little Horatio had managed to move on though.

"He talked to me about it. And Yelina too." Horatio sighed.

Alexx knew the tone of his voice; he didn't want to talk about it. She put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know it is hard sweetie, but you have to try." Alexx said, "For Kyle's sake too."

"I know." Horatio whispered.

Alexx patted his shoulder and Horatio smiled at her. She suddenly remembered the time and knew she was late for an autopsy. She rushed out of the room after giving Horatio a goodbye kiss on the cheek. Horatio stayed alone in the break room for a while.

"I miss you Julia." He whispered.

_**Please review!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks very, very much for the reviews! And thanks to my beta Alisa!**

_Two weeks later_

After driving Kyle to the daycare Horatio hurried to a crime scene. It was a triple homicide and he had a feeling he wouldn't be home for dinner today or the next day. He knew Kyle wouldn't be mad at him for it and it made the lieutenant very grateful for having such an understanding son.

When Horatio arrived at the scene there were cops everywhere and he saw Eric pull up in his hummer; his face flushed after hurrying to work. The young man saw the redhead and approached him before they ducked under the crime tape.

"Morning, H." The young man said.

"Morning Eric."

They entered the house and immediately smelled blood and decomposed bodies. Speed was already processing the kitchen where two bodies had been found. Alexx was checking on the third body in the living room, the only one of the three killed recently and Calleigh was still on her way to the scene. It wasn't even seven in the morning yet and a tired looking detective Tripp approached Horatio and Eric.

"Morning guys." He said and then yawned, "Neighbor heard a scream and a shot; called the cops and here we are."

"Eric process the living room." Horatio said and when the young man had left, Horatio focused on Frank, "Anyone own the house?"

"No." Frank said, "And the two rotten bodies have no ID. The third victim is 32-year-old named Michael Hansen."

While Frank told Horatio what he had been able to find on the victim, Horatio walked around the house and looked around. He did this to get a feel of the place and to get a sort of mental "video" of the turn of events leading to the death of three people. When Frank had finished briefing the redhead they had joined Alexx in the living room; whom had now finished too.

"The two bodies in the kitchen are female; both dead for over two months. This guy here has been dead less than two hours." Alexx said and grimaced at the smell, "And he smells of urine."

"Does he have any stains?" Horatio asked.

"Yeah, all over his jacket. Somebody must have hated this guy." Alexx said, "I found an entry and exit hole too. There's a bullet here somewhere."

"Thank you, Alexx." Horatio said.

She waved her assistants over and they started putting the bodies in body bags to take them to the morgue. Speed walked over to his boss and sighed; never a good sign.

"I got two pair of shoeprints, one belonging to the victim based on the mud leading from the prints to where his body was." Speed said, "The other one leads to the back yard and that's as far as I can follow it."

"This sounds to me like a deal gone bad." Frank said.

"You think Mister Hansen and someone else killed the two girls and now the partner killed Hansen?" Speed asked.

"Yeah, maybe they argued about something." Frank shrugged.

"I got drugs." Eric said, as he stood by the living room table.

"We're on the job, can't take stuff like that now." Speed teased.  
"Funny." Eric rolled his eyes.

Just then a winded Calleigh Duquesne came running with her kit.

"I had slept over at my friend's place last night, took me longer to get here than usual." She explained.

"No worries." Horatio said, "We have a missing bullet for you."

Calleigh nodded and started looking for the bullet. Horatio walked over to Eric and he showed him the thin white lines; indicating somebody had been snorting drugs recently.

"This seems weird somehow; two dead females, drugs and a dead male body." Horatio said.

"Thinking this might be bigger?" Speed asked.

"Maybe. Why kill two women and not dispose of the bodies? Why continue coming here to take drugs?"

"I'll check missing persons and any disturbance calls from two months ago or more." Frank said.

Horatio nodded and Frank walked away to make some calls. Horatio opened his kit and helped Eric process the living room.

**-I-**

It was a few hours later in the lab and Horatio was freshly showered. He rarely used the crime lab's shower, but after digging through dumpsters of trash looking for the gun that had killed Michael Hansen, he had had to use it. Normally he could have asked someone from the team to dig through the trash, but since Calleigh had still been searching for the bullet and Eric had already done dumpster duty for a month (after losing a bet to Speed), he had felt he could do it. Speed had been busy helping Calleigh. Besides, sometimes the boss needed to get dirty and do the smelliest part of the job. However, he had found nothing but dead rats, a dead cat and the usual trash.

It was now lunch and he was expecting his team back any minute for some pizza. He picked up his mail at the receptionist Paula and frowned when she giggled and handed him a white box.

"For you, sir." She said.

"From who?"

"It doesn't say." She smiled.

"Is it Valentine's day?" He asked.

"No, sir. We've passed that a long time ago."

Horatio frowned and shrugged. It then occurred to him that an ex-girlfriend from New York always sent him white boxes of chocolate when it was nearing summer. It was her way of apologizing for breaking his heart, even though it was many years ago now.

He entered his office, sat down by his desk and opened his mail first; nothing interesting. Then he grabbed the box and pulled the red ribbon off it. He opened the box and indeed it was chocolate inside; and a note.

"Dear Horatio, hope you like this treat. Will see you soon." He read.

No name or initials to tell who it was. Usually his ex signed it with M for Madeline and she always wrote "still sorry" on the note. He got an uneasy feeling. It didn't seem like Madeline had sent it. A knock on the door made him put the box away.

"Come in."

The door opened and three very tired CSIs entered. Calleigh and Speed slumped down on the couch and Eric on one of the guest chairs.

"I found the bullet." Calleigh said, "A .38."

"And I found trace to indicate that our second killer is a woman." Speed sighed.

"I found fingerprints; I haven't processed it yet."

"Okay, good work." Horatio smiled, "Why a woman, Speed?"

"I found trace of an eyeliner, mascara and hair dye." Speed said.

"It could be a man trying to look like a woman." Eric suggested.

"Or my grandmother trying to make herself look forty years younger by dressing like Marilyn Monroe." Speed said, "It's a woman, newbie."

"Your grandmother does that?" Calleigh asked.

"Only when it's Marilyn Monroe's birthday." Speed shrugged, "She's a bit... strange."

The team chuckled. Horatio announced that it was time for lunch before anyone continued processing their findings. People needed to eat to be able work and also get breaks. They went to the break room and were quickly joined by Alexx. They ordered pizza, which quickly arrived and then started eating it.

Time passed too quickly and soon lunch was over. Eric went to process the fingerprints, Speed went to process some trace evidence he had found besides the make-up and Calleigh went to process the bullet. Horatio, decided to check on Frank and he took the elevator down to the homicide department. Frank was typing, slowly, on his computer keyboard and Horatio smiled amused. The big bald Texan hated computers, even though he had to admit that they helped to get information quicker and it took less space than to have the desk flooding with files.

"Hello Francis." Horatio greeted.

"Horatio." Frank greeted with a sigh, "Mister Hansen is known in Iowa as Tyler Park."

Frank told Horatio about the victim's violent past and the crimes he had been convicted off before. It had been sealed files because of his young age at first and then because the people he had committed crimes towards had been underage.

"He's a sex offender." Horatio said.

"Sleeping with underage girls." Frank said disgusted, "And his partner in crime happens to be an Eileen Horn."

Horatio told Frank about Speed's finding, indicating it was a woman. It seemed that Eileen had killed Tyler AKA Michael. Frank had a theory that it was because of the two dead girls in the kitchen and drugs.

"Until we find more evidence or Eileen we can't know for sure." Horatio said.

"I put out a BOLO on her." Frank said.

Frank looked past Horatio and the redhead turned around. He noticed a woman he hadn't seen before walking towards them. She was just a bit shorter than him, with green eyes and brown hair. Dark brown. She was a little on the plus side, yet not so much. She did have very nice curves.

As she came closer she looked into Horatio's eyes and smiled. Frank stood up and the woman stopped right next to Horatio.

"Horatio meet detective Jenna Harrow." Frank said.

"Nice to meet you lieutenant Caine." Jenna smiled.

"Likewise. And please call me Horatio." Horatio smiled back.

"Jenna has transferred from Atlanta police department. She worked homicide there for the last six years." Frank said.

"I am from Miami originally." Jenna explained, "I just got the word that I will be joining you on today's triple homicide."

"A fresh pair of eyes are never turned down." Horatio said.

"Great!" Jenna smiled.

She was eager Horatio noticed. A bit younger than him, maybe six or seven years. She seemed nice and he was sure she would get along with the team.

Frank noticed the way Horatio looked at Jenna and smirked. Jenna had the desk next to him. She and Horatio talked about the triple homicide while Frank had the chance to observe him. If his gut feeling was right he could swear Horatio was already quite taken with the woman, although he wasn't sure if the redhead realized it himself. Unfortunately, he wouldn't make a move; Frank knew that. Horatio was still grieving Julia and was not likely to get involved with Jenna. Unless, Frank could help him do it. Lord knew, the man deserved someone to love him or at the very least get laid, according to Frank.

**-I-**

Much to everyone's relief the triple homicide had been cleared the moment Eileen Horn had been arrested. She had confessed to killing Tyler Park over drugs. Horatio had luckily been able to get home for dinner. Although, by the time he was on his way home Charlie called him and told him that they were all having dinner with Yelina at her house.

Now, Horatio was cleaning the dishes and telling Yelina and Charlie about the white box of chocolate he had received. They could hear Ray Jr and Kyle playing and laughing in Ray Jr's room.

"It doesn't sound like Madeline sent you that box." Yelina said, "She always signs her gifts doesn't she."

"Yes."

"And besides, she doesn't send her boxes until June." Yelina said.

"How many years had she done that?" Charlie asked.

"Ten years."

"Ten years!" Charlie exclaimed, "Because she broke your heart and she feels guilty?"

"Yeah, she cheated on me for almost a year and dumped me." Horatio shrugged, "It's a long time ago. But she can't forgive herself**,** so she sends me a gift every year to apologize."

"Somebody must know about her then." Charlie said, "This new woman sent you one just like it."

"Yeah, but white chocolate boxes are easy to come by." Yelina said, "Just be careful, Horatio."

"You're telling that man to be careful." Charlie snorted and Yelina laughed.

It was a well known fact that Horatio was anything but careful when it came to his own safety. Everyone else he could take care of, but not himself.

"Maybe you have a secret admirer." Charlie said.

"Yeah, that new detective." Yelina grinned, "Jenna Harrow."

Horatio blushed. He didn't know why he had reacted the way he had when he had seen Jenna. He wasn't in love. He would say he didn't believe in love at first sight, but he had fallen in love with Julia that way. No, something was special about Jenna, but Horatio didn't have time to figure out what. She was just a colleague and maybe in time she would become a friend; nothing more.

"You know, it's not wrong to find someone again." Yelina said.

Charlie sensed that it was a conversation between Yelina and Horatio. She quietly left to see what Ray Jr and Kyle were up too. Horatio sighed and didn't answer his sister-in-law. The two of them were grieving very differently. Yelina was of course sad that Raymond was no longer with her and Ray Jr. But even though Raymond had been gone half as long as Julia, she seemed to have moved on much easier or faster. She didn't wear the wedding ring anymore. She loved Raymond and always would. However, she had moved on and accepted that he was gone.

Horatio had not; he still wore the wedding ring, still had Julia's clothes in the closet and hadn't come near a woman in four years. Not intimately anyway.

"Horatio?"

"I don't want to talk about it." He said quietly.

"Horatio... you will need to move on at some point. If not for your own sake, then for Kyle." Yelina said, "I know it's hard. But Julia would want you to be happy."

"I think I know what my wife would want!" Horatio snapped.

He sighed and his shoulders tensed. Yelina rubbed his shoulder and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Maybe you can be happy again if you let yourself take the opportunity to be." She said and then went to find Charlie and the boys.

Horatio looked down at his finger and his ring. He knew, deep down, that Yelina was right. It was just so hard to do.

_**Please review!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks very much for the reviews! And a big thank you to Alisa, my editor!**

_Three weeks later_

Horatio was tossing and turning in bed. Mumbling incoherent words. Sweat poured down his body and made his skin glisten in the sunlight streaming through the window. His hands held the sheet tightly, making his knuckles white. He was having another nightmare; the same as before...

_He heard the call over the radio. A woman, approximately 30 years old. Blonde. With a baby in a car seat. Horatio started breathing heavily and he couldn't for the life of him remember driving to the supermarket where the scene was. He arrived and instantly he knew. When the young officers looked at him he knew. The pity in their eyes and the way they avoided him. Eventually, just before he could see her, his friend Frank Tripp grabbed his shoulders and turned him around._

_Frank was speaking, but Horatio couldn't hear him. He looked over at the red car. It was new. They had just got in a few weeks ago. Under the white sheet lay a body. _

_"Horatio!" Frank said louder._

_Frank shook him and Horatio looked into his eyes. He saw the truth in them. Then Alexx walked up to him and put her arms around him._

_"Horatio. Julia was carjacked. The guy must have panicked when she fought back and shot her." Frank said._

_Horatio didn't want to listen to it, but he did anyway. Witnesses had seen how Julia, desperate to protect her four-month-old baby in the backseat; their baby, had put herself between the shooter and their son. The shot had killed her instantly._

_"She scratched him and he shot her in the chest." Frank said, "I'm so sorry Horatio."_

_His wife was dead. His beautiful wife and mother of his child; Julia. She was gone. An officer approached him with a baby in her arms. His son Kyle._

_Horatio looked at the boy. Then he looked back towards the car where the body was; his wife's body. Someone yelled his name and then Raymond appeared in front of him. Talking to him. Raymond grabbed his nephew and started leading Horatio away. Away from the love of his life and thereby away from the life he had had. Things would never be the same again... _

Horatio bolted up in a sitting position and gasped. He breathed heavily and couldn't seem to find air to get into his lungs. The memory of the day his wife had died was still fresh on his mind. Letting a few tears fall Horatio got out of bed and went to the bathroom. He splashed some water in his face and then dried it. Noticing he was up earlier than usual he stepped into the shower and stood there until the water had run cold.

Going back into his bedroom he looked at the clock on the nightstand; 04:30. He sighed and got dressed in his usual suit. Then he went downstairs and started the coffee machine. While he waited for his coffee he walked quietly to Kyle's bedroom. He peeked inside and smiled at the sight of his son lying sprawled out on the bed, clutching his teddy bear Tristan. He was so much like Julia when he slept. Always taking up the whole bed.

He went back to the kitchen and took a cup of coffee. His eyes landed on the wedding photo of himself and Julia on the fridge. How happy they had been that day. She had been two months away from giving birth and her baby bump showed underneath her simple white wedding gown. She looked like an angel. She had always been an angel.

God, how he missed her.

**-I-**

There was a knock on Horatio's office door and he looked up to see Frank standing in the doorway.

"Hey Frank."

"Horatio. Either you were up all night getting laid or your sleep was interrupted by a nightmare again." Frank said.

Horatio chuckled and grabbed a file from his stack of paperwork; hoping the Texan would think he was busy. Of course, Frank knew that Horatio wasn't busy so he took a seat on the guest chair and looked at the redhead.

"I had the same dream as I usually do." Horatio said.

"About Raymond's death?"

"No, Julia." Horatio whispered.

Frank nodded. He remembered the day very clearly too. Having to give his best friend the worst news of his life was something he never wanted to experience again. He had had to do it twice too. First when Julia died and then two years later when his little brother Raymond died.

"Want to talk about it?" Frank asked.

"Not really."

"Well, you know where to find me if you change your mind." Frank said and stood up to leave.

Just then Paula the receptionist knocked on the door as she brought Horatio his mail. She looked worried though and when Horatio saw the white chocolate box he knew why.

"You still get those boxes?" Frank asked.

"Every day for the last three weeks."

Paula gave Horatio his mail and left. Horatio opened the box and instead of a simple note this time there was a slightly longer letter. After reading it he handed it to Frank.

_My lieutenant, my love._

_We belong together. _

_I'm sorry it has taken me so long to send you this._

_Forgive me for waiting and we can live happily for the rest of our lives._

_It is time we do what we have always been meant to do._

_Love, CD._

"CD?" Frank asked, "If I didn't know better I'd say Calleigh Duquesne is sending you these. But we all know she has a secret crush on Eric."

"Yeah, I have no idea this CD is. She started signing it with those initials last week."

"Horatio, you realize that you have a stalker right?"

"Yes." Horatio said, "But there is nothing I can do about it."

"Police protection?"

"From someone that only knows where I work and has so far only sent me boxes of chocolate?"

"For Kyle's sake it would be good."

"I already talked to the Chief." Horatio sighed, "He won't grant it since she or he, although I think it's a she, hasn't posed as a threat so far."

"How about you and Kyle live with me for a while then?"

"Thanks, but... I don't think it's necessary yet." Horatio sighed.

"H, we have a crime scene!" Speed said from the doorway.

Horatio and Frank ended their discussion and went with Speed. Once at the crime scene Horatio noticed the rather large crowd surrounding it.

"Speed, photograph the crowd." He whispered.

"You think your stalker might be here." Speed said.

Everyone in the lab knew about the stalker Horatio had.  
"Yes."

"I'll do it."

Speed discreetly started taking pictures of the crowd. Horatio in the meantime joined Alexx with the body in the hallway.

"Shot through and through." She said.

"Through the door too." Calleigh said, "Look at the bullet hole in the door."

"Sounds like a planned murder." Frank said.

Alexx told Horatio her preliminary findings. Frank interviewed some witnesses and friends of the victim. Eric processed the inside of the house and Calleigh looked for a bullet. Horatio joined her out in the yard. She was on the stairs trying to pull the bullet out of the wall of a storage shed. Out in the hot sun she started to sweat and curse. Horatio smiled.

"Going good Calleigh?" He asked amused.

"Super!"

"I can see that."'

Calleigh groaned and finally got the bullet out of the hole. She had been tracking it from the hallway. It had gone through many walls before it finally stopped.

"This is a mean bastard. Strong as hell. To go through so many walls and still end up all the way out here is not bad." She said.

"What is it?" Horatio asked.  
"It's too mangled up to say really. I'll have to check when I get back to the lab."

"Go now, I'm sure Eric and Speed can manage without you."

Calleigh smiled and nodded. She packed up her kit and took the bullet with her back to the lab.

**-I-**

Eric frowned; usually Speed was not so squeamish about going to the morgue. Now he had sent Eric down to look the victim from earlier that morning. Shrugging, the young CSI did as he was told by his superior officer and friend.

Once at the morgue he found that it was empty. Maybe Alexx had gone to lunch. He walked in to the autopsy theatre and towards the body freezers. He found the one with today's victim inside. Then he heard something from behind him. He turned around and looked at the body on the autopsy table.

His eyes widened when the hand moved! He gulped and started walking slowly towards the doors. The hand twitched again!

"Um, Alexx?" He called out.

No answer. Then suddenly the body took a deep breath and the hands twitched again. Eric paled and put his hand on the door handle. Just as he opened the door the body sat up.

Eric bolted out of the room and ran straight into Calleigh, making her fall to the floor and Eric to land on top of her.

"Eric! What are you doing?" Calleigh shrieked, "Get off!"

"Don't go in there. One of the bodies just moved!"

Eric stood up and helped Calleigh to her feet. Calleigh laughed and opened the doors. Eric gaped when he saw Jenna and Speed laughing.

"What the hell?" He asked.

"We got him good!" Jenna laughed.

"It was a prank?" Eric exclaimed.

"Hey, the new guy always gets pranked."

"What about her? Jenna is new!"

"Actually I was here before you. I'm hardly new, I just left for a few years." Jenna smirked.

She and Speed high fived and smirked proudly at the sulking Eric; whom huffed and left. Calleigh shook her head and smiled.

"You are so mean to him, Speed." She said.

"He's too sensitive. I was just having some fun. Give him a few years and he will be doing the same thing to the new guy or girl that comes along." Speed shrugged, "Besides, I deserve to have some fun."

Calleigh chuckled and shook her head again. Speed and Eric could be such children sometimes. She had to give Speed and Jenna some credit though; she had never seen anyone so freaked out before.

"Poor guy is going to have nightmares." Calleigh said.

"As long as he doesn't wet the bed I don't think there is any need for concern." Jenna said.

Just then Alexx arrived. Jenna and Speed left, while Calleigh stayed to talk to the medical examiner. Speed and Jenna parted ways when Speed reached the trace lab. Jenna continued towards Horatio's office. She saw that he was alone and that he had received yet another chocolate box, as it stood on his desk in plain sight. She knocked on the door and Horatio waved her inside.

"Hi." She smiled.

"Hi." Horatio said shyly.

"I see you got another box."

"Yeah, and she left a letter too this time."

Horatio handed her the letter and Jenna read it.

"It's got no prints on it or trace." Horatio said.

"She's good at hiding." Jenna sighed, "You want me to check out how many people bought boxes like that in the last three weeks?"

"I have; it's too many to count."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Jenna was supposed to be shadowing Frank and working with the team. But she had been called away to many crime scenes on her own or with other divisions in the department because she was very good at her job and sometimes divisions were short staffed. Horatio had had the pleasure of working with her a few times though.

"Maybe you can help Speed figure out who the people in the crowd at crime scenes are. It's likely this person is there." Horatio said.

"Sure. And check if anyone you worked with before has the initials CD." Jenna said.

"Ah yes, I hadn't thought of that."

"No problem. It can't be easy having a stalker, it's no wonder that it puts a lot on your mind." Jenna said.

"No. But the truth is I haven't thought much about her." Horatio said, "I have so many other things going on."

"Your son?"

"Yeah."

"How is he?"

"Fine. Happy like always." Horatio smiled.

Jenna could sense that Horatio was drawing away from her and she knew she was nearing private matters. She decided not to push and backed off by asking something about work. She had come to admire the redhead more and more every day. He was handsome and smart. She liked that.

"Well, I have a double homicide to work with; after that I'll help Speed." Jenna said, "I thought maybe you and I could have lunch soon."

Horatio was stunned for a moment. He had had lunch with Jenna before, but never alone. This time it seemed like it was just going to be him and her. He felt his heart start to race and he silently admonished himself for reacting like a lovesick teenager.

"Um, sure." Horatio said, "You skip lunch?"

It was already afternoon, but it had become evident for everyone that both Jenna and Horatio were prone to "forget" lunch. So it never surprised anyone that they had late lunches.

"Yeah, as always." Jenna smiled, "So we meet up here in an hour?"

"See you then." Horatio smiled.

Jenna patted his shoulder and then left. Horatio felt the heat and the electricity at her touch. What was that woman doing to him? For three weeks he had not been able to be around her, and act like his usual self.

Jenna grinned as she walked towards the lab elevator. Just as she entered it Frank joined her.

"Be careful with him." Frank said.

"Horatio?"

"Yeah. He's been through a lot."

"I haven't done anything wrong have I?" Jenna asked.

She was wondering if she had been too obvious about her attraction towards the lieutenant.

"No. Just be careful. He's a widower and single father." Frank said, "If you hurt him you'll have to answer to me and the team."

"He's a widower?" Jenna asked surprised.

She had heard many things about the redhead for the past three weeks, but no one had mentioned a wife. Frank sighed and explained that Horatio's wife had been killed four years ago.

"He still wears the wedding ring." He said.

"I hadn't noticed."

Frank smirked and winked at her.

"Probably because you were too busy thinking about other things." He grinned.

Jenna blushed but said nothing. It could have been worse. At least Frank didn't tell her to keep away from the redhead. She just knew that she had to be more sensitive and careful when getting to know him, to make sure she didn't hurt the lieutenant.

_**Please review!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks very much for all the reviews! and thanks to Alisa, my editor! **

Horatio woke up to the sound of his son crying. He climbed out of bed, barely awake and stumbled down the stairs. It was a miracle that he didn't fall and break his neck. He yawned and rubbed his eyes as he opened the door to Kyle's room. The boy was sitting up in his bed with tears streaming down his face.

"Hey Kyle, what's wrong son?" Horatio asked.

He sat down on the bed and his son hugged him tightly. He had probably had a nightmare.

"Bad dream." Kyle sobbed.

Horatio rubbed Kyle's back and rocked him gently. Kyle sobbed and his tears left a wet stain on Horatio's shirt.

"What did you dream about?" He asked.

"It was a dragon and a hit." Kyle sniffed, "hit" meaning witch.

Kyle had the most fascinating imagination sometimes and dragons and witches was a common theme in his dreams; sometimes also when he was playing.

"Did they try to hurt you?"

"Yes."

Kyle was starting to calm down and he yawned. Horatio picked him up and walked upstairs to his bedroom. He never had the heart to leave his son alone after a nightmare. Kyle was almost asleep by the time they reached the second floor. It was hours before Horatio had to go to work**,** so he lied back down in bed with his son next to him and closed his eyes. Sleep came quickly.

And just as quickly morning arrived and the alarm went off. Kyle was the first one to reach over and turn it off. He poked his father and Horatio groaned.

"Wake up daddy!"

"Just five more minutes." Horatio mumbled.

"Charlie says five minnets not okay." Kyle giggled. (minnets meaning minutes).

Kyle was very good at talking, but some words didn't always sound right. Although for a four year old he often impressed people when he spoke.

Horatio yawned and Kyle jumped out of bed; he started pulling his father's arm and eventually Horatio sat up.

"Charlie isn't here so if I want to take another five minutes I can do that, right?"

"No. Charlie is the boss." Kyle said.

Horatio frowned as Kyle ran out of the room and down the stairs.

"She shouldn't teach you stuff like that. Everyone knows I'm the boss." Horatio muttered.

"Daddy!" Kyle called from downstairs.

"Coming!"

**-I-**

Yelina was waiting for Horatio at his office when he arrived for work. It was still early and no one else was there yet.

"Good morning, Yelina." He greeted.

"Good morning." She smiled, "I looked into all your old case files with Jenna."

"And did you find anyone with the initials CD?"

"Not a single one."

Horatio frowned. He had expected at least someone to have those initials from his past. He had been a cop for so long and worked so many cases.

"That's unusual." He said.

"Yeah." Yelina sighed, "So how are you and Jenna getting along?"

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

Horatio rolled his eyes. People seemed to think they knew everything about him and Jenna. He didn't think the young detective was interested. He wasn't even sure what he felt. He knew he felt drawn to her, and most people would call that attraction. However, he couldn't figure out why or really what it was. Surely Horatio had come across beautiful people before and not felt a thing. Something about Jenna had started to make him weak at the knees though.

"She's special." Horatio said.

"Yes, you ogle her all the time."

"I do not!" Horatio exclaimed.

Yelina laughed.

"I just... I don't know what to say. Yes, I'm attracted to her, but..."

"You haven't felt that anyone has been special since Julia." Yelina said.

Horatio looked down at his feet and Yelina knew she had hit it right. Julia and Horatio had pretty much experienced love at first sight. She didn't believe anyone could make Horatio fall in love that quick again. But even if Horatio didn't want to admit it right now or didn't realize it, he was far more attracted and drawn to Jenna than he thought.

"Well, ask her out then." She said.

"No."

"Horatio, if you don't let yourself move on you will never be happy."

"I have moved on." Horatio lied.

"Oh yeah? Then how come you're still wearing your wedding ring?"

Horatio looked down at his finger. He knew Julia would want him to be happy. But knowing that and moving on was different. Julia was the love of his life. He couldn't just take off the ring and start dating someone else.

"I can't take it off."

"Yes you can. Maybe not today or tomorrow. But you can." Yelina said, "Horatio, you deserve to find someone. Maybe Jenna is not the one for you, but I think she might be. Whatever the case, someday you will find someone and if you don't let them in you will forever be lonely."

Horatio didn't know what to say. Yelina sighed and gave him a kiss on the cheek before mentioning something about a meeting. She looked sadly at her brother-in-law before she left. Horatio looked at his wedding ring. He had worn it for so long that it didn't feel natural to take it off. With shaking fingers he started to pull it off his finger. He had done that before. He shrugged. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and he instantly put the ring back on. Even if Horatio didn't realize it the ring acted as a shield so he wouldn't get hurt by anyone. Everybody seemed to know it besides him.

"Come in." He said.

The door opened to reveal Eric and Speed. Speed was holding a photograph. Horatio looked at the time and realized that the two men were early.

"You're here earlier than usual." He said.

"Well, we decided to come in and start finding your stalker." Eric said, "Yelina told us she hadn't found anyone with the initials CD."

Originally it had been Jenna and Speed that had been working on finding someone with the initials CD. But Yelina had started to help and pulled in some favors with some private detectives that she knew. Jenna and Speed had started going through photos of the crowds from crime scenes again, doing facial recognitions scans. As well as processing the chocolate boxes and notes Horatio had received. It had revealed nothing, but it had been worth a second try.

"How are you planning on doing that?" Horatio asked, knowing that there was nothing to process and check anymore.

"Through this." Speed said and handed Horatio a photograph of a brunette woman in her twenties.

"Read the back." Eric said.

_Dear Lieutenant._

_I will be seeing you soon._

_No one can keep us apart._

_Love, CD._

"She sent it to you?" Horatio asked stunned.

"To the lab." Speed said, "Addressed to the CSI team."

"A picture of herself." Horatio said.

"Not so bright is it?" Eric asked.

"She wants me to know what she looks like." Horatio said, "She's going to make a move soon."

"What should we do?" Eric asked.

"Scan her picture; see if she comes up in the facial recognition program." Horatio.

"On it." Speed said as he and Eric left.

Horatio started pacing in his office. Whoever the girl was she was acting fast. Going from sending chocolate boxes to a photograph of herself just over night. Het a gut feeling that something bad was going to happen. He had to call Charlie and warn her. For whatever reason this CD woman was acting fast; wasting no time.

**-I-**

"Hey little man don't run so fast. I can't keep up with you!"

Charlie shook her head as Kyle ran through the park. As long she could see him it was okay. Horatio had warned her about his stalker weeks ago, but this new development worried Charlie even more. It was past lunch and so far the team hadn't found anyone looking like the woman on the crime scenes pictures. If she had been watching she had been somewhere further away or maybe in a car.

"Rain Charlie!" Kyle exclaimed.

Just then the thunder roared and rain started to pour down. Charlie hurried up and got closer to Kyle. Then she saw it! A red car out of the corner of her eye. It was driving towards Kyle; he was on the curb and the car slowing down as it got closer to him. Charlie hurried through the last bit of the park and tried to see the registration number, but she couldn't.

"Kyle come here!" She called.

Being as stubborn as his father and only four, Kyle smirked and giggled before running further away from his nanny. Charlie started to panic and run. The car continued to drive towards Kyle.

"Kyle now!"

"Catch me Charlie!"

Charlie was running as fast as she could now to catch up with the boy. The red car was driving faster too. Suddenly it speeded off and left. Charlie saw a police car and instantly sighed in relief.

"Kyle!"

The boy stopped and looked at Charlie. When she reached him she knelt down.

"Don't do that again!" She snapped, "God damn Kyle, you had me scared to death!"

Kyle looked sadly at Charlie and then hugged her.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"Oh me too sweetie." Charlie said and picked him up.

She usually didn't carry him as he was a big boy and getting heavier every day as he grew, but know she needed to hold him and make sure he was safe. They were almost home anyway.

"Daddy says it is not okay to curse." Kyle said.

"And daddy is right. But don't tell him I said that or he'll gloat too much." Charlie chuckled.

"Daddy is always right." Kyle grinned.

They finally reached the house and Charlie unlocked the door so they could get inside and escape the rain.

"Only when I'm wrong. Remember, I'm the boss." Charlie joked.

**-I-**

"I found her!"

The team went to the layout room where Calleigh smiled proudly. She was sitting by a computer and on it was a picture of the same woman whom was on the photograph sent to the lab.

"That's her." Horatio said.

"Her name is Caroline Damon." Calleigh said, "And she is hiding very well around the crime scenes and that's why we can't place her there. Although, I'm sure she is there somewhere."

"How did you...?" Eric asked.  
"I made her younger, about five years younger." Calleigh said, "Before she had plastic surgery to repair her lip, nose, eyes and cheek bones."

"What happened?" Horatio asked.

"She was kicked badly by a horse two years ago and almost died. So her face has changed slightly." Calleigh said, "However, the reason we couldn't find her was because there is no record of her."

"So how did you find her records?" Speed asked.

"Simple. I called some friends in high places." Calleigh grinned, "There is no record of Caroline Damon before five years ago. Her mother, a drug addict, was murdered. Her father Harold Damon got custody of her, but he beat her and she witnessed as he shot a business partner."

"She got protective custody." Horatio said.

"Correct. The FBI has a file on her going from five years ago until last year." Calleigh said, "That's when she disappeared and Caroline Damon doesn't seem to be anywhere."  
"So because her file is classified we couldn't find a match in facial recognition?" Eric asked.

"Exactly." Calleigh said, "But I could after a few calls; they have a different facial recognition program and access to every file there is."

"Why isn't she in protective custody anymore?" Horatio asked.

"The FBI lost her?" Jenna guessed.

"Correct Detective Harrow." Calleigh smiled, "The FBI lost track of her a year ago. And because they wiped out every record of Caroline Damon when they got custody of her, she doesn't exist."

"So they can't track her." Jenna said.

"No. She probably doesn't even use the name Caroline Damon anymore." Calleigh said.

"But she did to me." Horatio said.

"Yes, because the detective that investigated her mother's murder five years ago was one Horatio Caine." Calleigh said.

Horatio closed his eyes and started to remember meeting a young Caroline. She had never gone to school or even had friends. Her whole life she had only gone outside to pick up the mail. Her mother had locked her inside their house.

"You helped her." Calleigh said, "In the case file it says she kept referring to you as her savior."

"I remember that now." Horatio said.

"You got her help with the social services. They placed her with her father. Of course, they didn't know he was a bastard at first." Calleigh said.

"She believed I saved her from hell. Living with her mother had been hell. She could barely speak, she didn't know any social boundaries or norms, couldn't read and had never seen any person besides her mother. They lived to far away for neighbors." Horatio said.

"When the feds got custody of her they got her into school and she learned everything the rest of us learn as we grow up." Calleigh said.

"And then one day she was just gone." Frank said.

"Yeah." Calleigh said, "Basically we can't find her because of a bureaucratic mistake. If the FBI hadn't wiped away every record of her existence except the old case that Horatio worked, we would have found her by now."

Horatio didn't like the FBI. Although he knew some good people that worked there. Hearing what Calleigh said made him want to punch an FBI agent.

"There is more." Calleigh said.

"What?" Horatio asked in disbelief.

"A month before she disappeared, the FBI had Caroline checked for schizophrenia and some other psychiatric problems. Calleigh said.

"Anyone of them involve stalking?" Jenna asked.

"Well, yeah. They thought she was imagining relationships with people. That she and whoever it was were married." Calleigh said.

Jenna and Frank approached the computer and read some of the notes from the FBI themselves. One thing they saw made their blood boil.

"You see this Cal?" Frank asked.

Calleigh read the note and shook her head; she had missed the last few notes.

"The FBI knew that her obsession was you." Jenna said to the redhead.

"What?" Horatio asked.

"Their notes mention how she seemed obsessed with you." Frank sighed, "Those sons of bitches knew all along!"

"We need to have a talk with the feds." Horatio growled.

**-I-**

Jenna knocked on the office door. When there was no reply she opened the door and peeked inside. Only the desk lamp was on; she figured Horatio must have forgotten to turn it off. She then saw his sunglasses and figured he must have forgotten those too. She went inside and grabbed them before leaving again. All day she had been on the phone with the FBI, but no one wanted to talk about the Caroline Damon case. They would send someone tomorrow. Yelina had reached out again to her private detective friends (Yelina was a part time homicide detective and part time PI). Frank and Speed had tried to hunt down anyone that recognized the picture of Caroline from hospitals or libraries; they had found nothing.

Eric and Calleigh had been called away on a homicide and been unable to help. And poor Horatio had tried to talk to the Chief about getting protection. It had been granted thankfully. However, there had been some problems in Miami during the day with demonstrating students and the Chief had said that Horatio would have to wait until the next morning before two officers would come to his house and protect him and his family.

Typical bureaucratic things.

Jenna knew Horatio loved his glasses so she decided to give them back to him. She knew where he lived because she had subtly asked Alexx Woods a few days before. Of course, the medical examiner hadn't been fooled but allowed Jenna to think she had been.

Once Jenna arrived at the house she started getting nervous. She didn't really have anything to be nervous about; she was just returning some sunglasses. But the thought of seeing Horatio made her all warm inside. She rang the doorbell and waited; taking a deep breath while she did so. Then the door opened and Jenna frowned as she didn't see anyone. She looked down and saw a young boy standing there.

"Hello, I'm Jenna Harrow. I'm looking for Horatio Caine." She smiled.

"Daddy!" Kyle called.

"In the shower Kyle!"

Jenna's heart started beating faster; thinking of Horatio in the shower. Kyle looked at her and opened the door wider. He ran upstairs and Jenna closed the door as she walked inside.

"Daddy a friend is here!" Kyle called.

"Which friend?"

"Jenna."

There was a silence that followed and Kyle came back downstairs. He reached out his hand and Jenna shook it.

"I'm Kyle." He grinned.

"Hello Kyle. I work with your dad."

Kyle nodded and then heard the bathroom door open. He ran inside his room, but Jenna could see him peeking from behind the corner. Down the stairs, a few minutes later, came Horatio wearing only sweatpants and a t-shirt. His hair damp from the shower and sticking out in all directions. She noticed he was blushing and he smiled timidly at her.

"Well, this is a surprise." He chuckled.

"Yes, sorry. I just, I came to talk to you in your office and then saw that you weren't there." Jenna said, "And then I saw your sunglasses and I know how much you like them so I thought I would bring them to you."

"Oh, thank you." Horatio smiled, "That's very thoughtful."

Jenna handed him the glasses. They heard Kyle giggle and looked at him.

"Have you said hi yet?" Horatio asked.

Kyle nodded. Horatio chuckled.

"Well, I should uh... go back to my place. I'll see you tomorrow then." Jenna grinned.

She was suddenly sweating and her pulse was beating so fast. Horatio smiled.

"You could stay for coffee." He suggested.

The words seemed to leave his mouth before his brain could register them. Both Jenna and Horatio were equally surprised at the invitation.

"Yes. Stay for coffee!" Kyle exclaimed happily.

"Well, if it's not too late." Jenna said.

"Not at all." Horatio said, again his brain didn't at all register his own words, "I could use some company after today anyway."

"What about Charlie?" Jenna asked.  
"She doesn't live here." Horatio said, "She left about an hour ago."

"And you sure it's okay? I mean Kyle has to go to bed soon doesn't he?" Jenna asked, wondering why she was asking so many questions. She wanted to have coffee with the lieutenant after all.

"Trying to come up with excuses not to keep me company, are you?" Horatio asked with a smirk.

Jenna chuckled and blushed. She removed her jacket and Horatio invited her into the kitchen. Kyle stayed close, enjoying to see why his dad seemed so nervous around Jenna and why Jenna was acting so weird around his dad. Jenna took a cup of coffee from Horatio and their fingers touched. They both giggled. Jenna took a deep breath as Horatio turned around. It was going to be a long night.

_**Please review!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for all the reviews! A thanks very much to my editor, Alisa!**

It was the next day and Frank and Horatio were waiting in one of the interrogation rooms for an FBI agent. He had been in charge of Caroline Damon when she had been in witness protection. Horatio kept thinking about the evening before. Jenna had ended up staying for a bit longer than anticipated; she had even helped put Kyle to bed. She and Horatio had talked mostly work, but not only. Kyle had also managed to get Jenna to play with him and his father; using the boy's toy cars. Jenna had seemed to enjoy it. Then she had left and the best part of all; that had made Horatio's mind dizzy; she had kissed him on the cheek!

Although, after that he had felt almost a bit guilty. He knew he had to move on from Julia, but it was hard. He had stayed up almost all night thinking about the young female detective. All he knew was that he was very attracted to Jenna and probably even a bit smitten. He wasn't sure if he was falling for her, but he promised himself to find out; not knowing what kind of relationship they really had was something he didn't like.

And he also made a promise, to one day soon clean out Julia's clothes from the closet. It wouldn't be enough to move on, but it would be a start. Julia would always be the love of his life. No matter how much he wanted to be with Jenna and get to know her better, he still felt a pain in his chest; maybe he was moving too fast. Although, nothing had really happened yet and he and Jenna had onlyknown each other for a month now. He knew he would panic eventually; he always did when something got serious; even though, he couldn't be sure it would become serious with Jenna.

Frank nudged his shoulder when the door opened to reveal a man in their age; looking very tired and stressed. It was the FBI agent they had been waiting for.

"Lieutenant Caine I presume?" He asked.

"Yes, and this is detective Tripp."

They shook hands and the agent sat down.

"I'm agent Jim Stoker." He said, "I understand you asked me here aboutCaroline Damon?"

"Yes. Do you know where she is?" Horatio asked.

"Lieutenant, you read the file so you already know the answer to that question." Agent Stoker said, "We don't know where she is."

"She's in Miami." Frank said, "She's stalking Lieutenant Caine."

"Really?"

"Agent Stoker, you've read the file too; you know she has an obsession with me." Horatio said.

Agent Stoker sighed and rubbed his eyes. He explained that Caroline Damon had been his responsibility. Everything had worked fine until a year ago. He had then become a new father to twins that kept him up all night and his mother had been dying of cancer; the first and last time he ever fell asleep on the job for only five minutes was the day that Caroline managed to escape.

"She never liked being under FBI protection and I don't blame her." Agent Stoker said, "She was at a café and I fell asleep in the car. God, I was so stupid."

"Had she talked about leaving?" Frank asked.

"Yeah, a few times. But mostly it had been when she was angry. She was still just a kid you know." Agent Stoker said, "Legally an adult yes, but a kid nonetheless."

"And her obsession about me? Didn't anyone think to warn me?" Horatio asked angry.

"We didn't think she was serious about it; not serious enough to stalk you anyway." Agent Stoker sighed, "Look, it's my entire fault and I've been working my ass off for the last year to find her. The problem is, we wiped away everything about her after she went in to protective custody."

"So she could have taken any name she wants." Frank said.

"Yeah, and it's not so hard to get fake ID cards or papers when your father is a known criminal." Agent Stoker said, "Well, not so well known, but pretty famous among the frauds."

"So to keep it simple and short; we can't find her because she could be anyone." Frank said.

"Yeah, unless someone sees her." Agent Stoker sighed, "I'll help you as much as I can, but I think you'll have better luck without me. It's been a year and look where I am; nowhere."

"Keep on looking Agent Stoker." Horatio said.

Agent Stoker nodded and stood up and left. Frank started growling about FBI and their stupid agents. Horatio's mind went to Jenna...

**-I-**

Charlie sat on the bench and watched as Kyle ran around the playground with some other kids. They were a bit older than him, but he managed to keep up. She glanced behind her and saw the police cruiser with two officers inside it. Horatio had persuaded the Chief to put protection only around his son and Charlie, as he believed that he was safe with the team anyway.

Charlie sure was glad to have the officers around when there was a lunatic on the streets.

"Charlie! Look!" Kyle exclaimed.

"I'm looking little man." Charlie smiled.

Kyle was using the swing and he jumped off it and landed in the sand; smiling proudly at her. Charlie clapped her hands and grinned. Kyle then ran towards the basket ball field next to the playground. Some of the older kids were playing basketball and Kyle asked if he could join. Charlie chuckled as more and more kids started to join and the oldest kids pretended to drop the ball so it would be a fair game for the younger ones.

"Which one is yours?"

Charlie looked up and got the sun in her eyes. She put on her sunglasses but still didn't see the person. Eventually the woman sat down next to her, but her face was shielded with a scarf.

"Um, I'm the blonde boy's nanny." She said.

Then she froze. She felt the cold metal against her waist. She knew instantly what it was. She had pepper spray in her purse, but if she reached for it she knew she would be stabbed.

"Don't move." The woman said.

"I'm not."

"You stay away from them."

"What?"

"Stay away from Horatio and Kyle. I will take care of them now." The woman said.

"I'm just the nanny."

"Well, Kyle doesn't need a nanny."

"Um, okay."

Charlie felt the tip of the knife against her waist and she started to shake slightly. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

"After today you stay away from Kyle and Horatio." The woman growled, "They're mine."

Charlie started to cry silently and could barely breathe. This was something Horatio was more used to, not her. She was a nanny not a cop!

"Do you understand me?"

Charlie nodded. The woman stood up.

"Don't move or speak until I'm gone." She growled, "Or I will stab you and the boy."

Charlie was panting and watched as the woman walked away. Her hands were shaking and her heart pounding as Kyle ran to her. When he saw that Charlie was crying he hugged her.

"Was wrong Charlie?" He asked.

"Nothing baby, nothing." She said and held him tight, "Let's go home now."

"But I don't want to."

"Kyle baby, don't argue with me today. This is important."

Charlie held Kyle in her arms as she hurried to the police cruiser behind her. Tears streamed down her face as she told them what had happened.

**-I-**

Horatio had never driven home so fast before. The moment he entered his house he was greeted by a distraught Charlie, who was walking around with a kitchen knife and her pepper spray. He guided her to the kitchen and took the knife from her.

"Charlie, breathe." He said.

Charlie gasped and started crying again. She had never come so close to losing her life before. She had never been in such a dangerous situation.

"Breathe Charlie, that's it; deep breaths." Horatio said.

He rubbed her back and felt her relax. The phone call from her had been a nightmare. Charlie was not just a nanny for him; she was a friend and even family. She meant a lot to Horatio and it pissed him off that Caroline had threatened her. He knew that the only person whom it could have been was Caroline.

"If that bitch comes back I will stab her." Charlie said, "She told me to stay away from you and Kyle."

"She thinks you're a threat to her."

"How? I'm the nanny not your girlfriend. Sure, we are friends too, but still. It's not like I'm Jenna Harrow."

Horatio raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Kyle told me about her." Charlie explained, "I swear to god, I'm going to start packing a gun from now on. I grew up with a father that taught me to use one and I will use it if that crazy woman comes back."

"Charlie." Horatio said, "I think you should go to your mom in Chicago until this is over."

"Oh hell no! I'm not leaving you and Kyle by yourself."

"We have the team."

"Hell no Horatio! I'm staying. I would die for that boy and I'm not leaving him or you." Charlie said, "No matter how scared I am, I'm not doing it."

"Okay, but at least stay here tonight."

"Alright." Charlie said, "I can do that."

Horatio smiled and gave her a hug. Charlie told him that the woman had looked like and the description was just like that of Caroline Damon. Charlie then went to the guest room to get some rest and Horatio went to Kyle's room.

"Hi Kyle." He said.

His son was sitting on the floor holding his teddy bear Tristan. Horatio could see that Charlie's reaction had scared him, and that the boy knew something was really wrong. Horatio sat down on the floor in front of his son.

"You got scared today, huh?" He asked.

Kyle nodded.

"Because Charlie met a bad woman?"

Kyle nodded again and then climbed in to his father's lap. Horatio held him and explained that Charlie had met a bad woman that thought she and Horatio were dating. He tried to tell Kyle as best as he could that from now on he and Charlie would stay home.

"Speed is going to see if he can find a place for us to live for a while." Horatio said.

"Are we moving?"

"Only for a little while. Until this bad woman has been caught."

"Is she go to hurt me?" Kyle whispered.

"No, never Kyle." Horatio said, "She's not going to hurt you."

Kyle nodded and put his head on his father's shoulder. He closed his eyes and eventually fell asleep. Horatio put him in his bed and then sat on the floor next to him.

**-I-**

It was later in the evening and Kyle had gone to bed to sleep for the night. Charlie and Horatio were in the living room watching the news when the doorbell rang. Charlie jumped up and held her pepper spray in front of her as she approached the door. She opened it and then relaxed.

"Whoa! Easy there." The woman said, "I'm here to see how Horatio and Kyle are doing. And you if you're Charlize?"

"I am, but you can call me Charlie. You must be Jenna."

Charlie opened the door to let Jenna inside and smirked when Horatio approached them. By the look in his face Charlie knew he was both surprised and very happy to see the other woman.

"Jenna. Hi." He smiled.

"Hi. I came to see how everyone was doing." Jenna grinned.

Charlie could almost touch the vibrations between the two and she started to quietly sneak up the stairs. Horatio and Jenna only had eyes for each other. Horatio told her that Kyle was doing fine and was asleep. Charlie was almost up the stairs and on her way to the guestroom when her name was called.

"Huh?" She asked.

"How are you?" Jenna asked.

"Fine. Better now with two cops in the house." Charlie said, "Please stay and make yourself comfortable. I'll just get some sleep and leave you too alone to do whatever it is you want to do."

"Charlie." Horatio warned.

"Just don't do anything too loud." Charlie grinned and ran to the guest room.

Jenna chuckled and looked at the blushing Horatio. They walked to the living room.

"Oh um, can I get you something?" Horatio asked.

"No thanks, I'm fine." Jenna smiled.

She sat down on the couch and Horatio sat down next to her. Their arms touched and Horatio felt Jenna's warmth against his skin. He was starting to get nervous; like he usually got around her.

"So uh, we couldn't find any witnesses in the park." Jenna said, "But a surveillance camera caught a woman matching Charlie's description walking past an ATM not too far away from the park. Can't see her face though."

Horatio nodded and looked at Jenna. She was busy looking everywhere except him so he had the chance to study her. She was pretty. He was sure she was popular in school. Nice looking lips, beautiful eyes and a cute little nose. Horatio wanted to run his fingers through her long brown hair.

"What was your wife's name?"

Horatio was stunned by the question and looked down at his ring finger; where he still had the ring.

"Uh, Julia." He said quietly.

"Frank told me a little bit about her." Jenna said, "I hope it was okay."

"Sure." Horatio said, "A lot of people probably told you I have had problems moving on."

"No."

"No?"

"Well, they might have told me but I don't really listen to gossip." Jenna smiled and glanced toward a picture of Julia holding a newborn Kyle.

"She was very beautiful."

"Yes." Horatio whispered.

"I'm sorry; I'm talking about things I shouldn't."

"It's okay. I think it's good for me to talk about her even if it's difficult to do so." Horatio said.

"Tell me about her."

It was the tone of Jenna's voice that made Horatio do it. She was genuinely curious about Julia. Like she wanted to know about Horatio's wife and Kyle's mother because it had been an important person for them, rather than to find out things about the woman that in a way still competed against her.

So Horatio told her how they had met, fallen in love and gotten married. They had moved to Miami. She had become pregnant and two months before she had given birth to Kyle they had married each other in a small ceremony. Horatio had loved her from the moment they had met. He would have done anything for her and sometimes wished he had died instead, so that Kyle could have been raised by the most beautiful and caring person Horatio had known.

"Wow. I wish I could have met her." Jenna smiled.

"Yes, she made quite an impression with every one she ever met." Horatio said, "So many, many people came to her funeral. People she had known her whole life and some that she had only met once."

"I can see why you loved, sorry, _love_ her." Jenna smiled.

Horatio smiled. He didn't know why but for some reason he told Jenna about his problems of moving on. Why he still had the wedding ring and her clothes in the closet. Why he had such problems accepting that he was attracted to other women sometimes. He told her how he always felt so guilty for even looking at another woman. He didn't tell Jenna that he felt attracted to her though.

"Well, my father was the same after his second wife died." Jenna said, "It took him ten years before he finally started to move on and be able to love someone else."

"Wow. Ten years."

"Yeah." Jenna said, "I think, and this is just me, but... I think you hold on to Julia in your heart and mind because it's safe. Obviously because you love her too. But people sometimes have problems letting go because it's unsafe."

"Unsafe to move on?"

"Yeah. My father said that he felt safe still wearing the ring because it meant that he was still married in a way. And because it was a way to keep everyone else away so he couldn't be hurt again." Jenna said, "It's safe to keep them close and to not let go, because we don't know what it will be like to do the opposite. It's like unsteady ground to let go and open your heart again."

Horatio looked at Jenna for a long time. He had never thought of like that. He had probably done it on a subconscious level. But she was right though. Horatio felt that if he moved on; if he took the ring off and took away Julia's clothes, he would lose part of himself too. For years his life had involved Julia and then it had so abruptly changed. By keeping her memory constantly fresh and not letting go he kept some of that life with him.

"I'm sorry." Jenna said.

"For what?"

"Maybe I said too much." Jenna said.

"No, no... I think you might be right." Horatio said, "How do I let go though?"

"Well, I don't know that. Maybe, you should start with cleaning out the closet of her clothes, it's probably the best way to start." Jenna said, "But... don't move too fast. Not all at once you know. Keep the ring for a while. Talk to her."

"Visit her grave?"

"Yes. Talk to her." Jenna said, "I believe that even if we don't get a reply, the ones that have passed listen to us."

Horatio had stopped visiting Julia's grave six months earlier; it had been too painful. He had never really spoken much when he had been there anyway. Mostly just cried. When he thought about it, it was when he had stopped visiting Julia that he had started to hide away inside himself; keeping everyone else outside.

"Thank you." Horatio whispered.

"For what?"

"For listening and offering your view of things." Horatio smiled.

"You're welcome." Jenna said and gave Horatio a kiss on the cheek.

Her lips stayed on his cheek and then suddenly moved to his mouth. Horatio didn't know what to do and looked at her. Their eyes locked and he suddenly felt himself kiss her back. Her lips were soft, warm and her kiss tender.

A chirping noise startled them and they parted. Jenna picked up her phone from the coffee table and saw a message from Speed that he had found a safe house for Horatio, Kyle and Charlie that they could move into tomorrow. Jenna told Horatio.

"Good, good." Horatio said.

They avoided looking at each other and then Jenna noticed how late it was.

"I should be going home." She said, "It's late."

She yawned and stood up.

"You could always sleep here." Horatio said and blushed.

"Oh that's kind of you, but-" She yawned again.

"Please. You're too tired to drive; I can even take the couch and you can take my bed."

"Oh no, no. I'll take the couch."

"I can't let a lady sleep on the couch." Horatio said.

"Horatio." Jenna chuckled, "Just shut up and go to bed. I'll take the couch."

Horatio was about to protest but the look in Jenna's eyes made him keep quiet. He found her a pillow and a sheet and then they said goodnight. Horatio went to his bedroom upstairs and Jenna lied down on the couch.

She smiled as she closed her eyes and thought about her and Horatio's kiss.

**_Please review!_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks very, very much for the reviews! Thank you to Alisa, my editor!**

It was the next morning when Horatio, Kyle and Charlie were moving into the safe house. It was a secluded one story house; it would always be guarded by four cops, but even then it would be hard to make sure that Caroline didn't find someplace to sneak in.

However, it was the best that could be found in such a short time. Horatio hadn't packed much, just the essentials. Kyle was happy as long as his beloved teddy bear Tristan was allowed to come along; and some of his Ice Age toys.

"Daddy! You remember Tristan?" Kyle asked, as his father was unpacking some of his son's things in the guest room.

Kyle and Horatio would be sleeping together, while Charlie slept in the other room. No one felt safe with Charlie staying at her own place after Caroline had threatened her in the park the day before.

"Yes, son. He's in the blue bag." Horatio said.

Kyle opened the blue bag and grinned when he pulled out the bear.

"That boy could be dying on a lonely island and still all he would care about is that old teddy bear." Charlie said amused.

"Tristan is not old!" Kyle exclaimed.

"Sorry baby, of course he isn't." Charlie smiled.

While the four year old boy happily played with his toys. Horatio and Charlie finished unpacking his things and then continued with their own things. The house wasn't very furnished, but at least had a kitchen table and chairs, a couch and a TV.

"When can I see my friends?" Kyle asked.

"When daddy and the team catches the bad woman." Horatio said.

"When is dat?"

"Don't know son. Soon hopefully."

Kyle shrugged. He missed his friends.

"I sure hope it's soon. I'm not going to feel safe until that woman is either dead or behind bars." Charlie said.

"Charlie want to kill her?" Kyle gasped.

Horatio gave Charlie a stern look and the woman smacked her hand against her forehead. Now she had to explain herself to a young boy, whom probably wouldn't understand half of what she said anyway.

"No. Not kill her. Just... oh crap." Charlie groaned, "Let's go outside and I'll explain it to you."

"Rain outside." Kyle said.

"Rain will make you grow tall."

"No, daddy says veggies will." Kyle said.

"Daddy is wrong." Charlie smirked and winked at the redhead.

Horatio shook his head amused as Charlie and Kyle put on rain coats and went out to the backyard. He had some time to think without being interrupted. He thought about last night and this morning. He and Jenna had kissed. This morning it had been like it had never happened. Jenna had smiled extra much at him though. The thing was that he didn't feel guilty about the kiss; he had thought he would. Well, maybe a bit. But mostly he was just confused. He wasn't sure what Jenna was expecting from him or if he could give it to her. Was she looking for something serious or just some fun? What was going to happen from now on?

"H!" Speed exclaimed.

The redhead was startled and turned to face his CSI.

"What?" He asked.

"Day dreaming about someone special?" Speed smirked, "I called your name for several minutes and you looked like you were off to la-la- land."

"Um, yeah."

"So anyone I know?"

"Huh?"

"Who is the girl that you're... oh, it's Jenna, right?" Speed smirked.

Eric walked in and only heard the last thing Speed had said.

"H and Jenna do something?" He asked.

"Oh, they did something. H was day dreaming about her." Speed grinned.

"Shut up." Horatio groaned, but the blush busted him.

"So what happened? She slept at your house last night." Speed said.

"Whoa! H!" Eric laughed, "You two got it going huh?"

"She slept on the couch." Horatio said.

"What kind of a gentleman are you; letting a woman sleep on the couch?" Eric asked.

"Look, guys. We kissed and that's it. She wanted to sleep on the couch." Horatio said.

Speed and Eric grinned and decided to tease their boss some more, while he finished unpacking. They stopped the moment Jenna showed up.

"I got us a meeting with Caroline's father." She said.

"Great." Horatio smiled, "Let's go."

"Behave now." Eric grinned and Speed laughed.

Horatio rolled his eyes and went to the backyard to say goodbye to his son.

**-I-**

Harold Damon was old and tired. He looked evil too; certainly capable of murder. While Horatio waited behind the two-way mirror in the prison interrogation room, Jenna went in alone. Harold was a convict in a federal prison and it had turned out over the years that he was more willing to talk to female cops; which was why Jenna was alone with him.

"Mister Damon, I'm Jenna Harrow." Jenna greeted the old man.

She had brought some empty boxes with her, with Caroline's names on them. She wanted to give Harold Damon the impression that MDPD was looking for his daughter and that she was suspected for crimes she hadn't actually done. She knew she had to make Harold believe that his daughter was a monster to make him give Jenna information about Caroline. Especially since Harold viewed his daughter as stupid.

Jenna had once gone to an FBI seminar in interrogation technique and learnt that sometimes you had to put on a show and pretend to know things you didn't to get the information you wanted.

"Aren't you a pretty looking thing?" Harold smirked, "You know, I'm sure if we go into a more private room I could show you a thing or two."

"No thank you."

"Already getting it from someone huh?" Harold asked, "A woman like you must have men drooling at your feet all the time."

"No, but with a snap of my fingers they would." Jenna smirked.

"I'm sure they would."

Jenna picked out a few files from one of the boxes. The files were mostly filled with blank papers, except the top one where Jenna had all the information available on Harold. Nicely given to her from the FBI after Horatio had had a little discussion with Agent Stoker.

"So Mister Damon, you have quite a long rap sheet." Jenna said, "Murder, attempted murder, domestic violence, fraud, and the list goes on."

"Well, a man like me likes to test different things."

"Does that include abusing your daughter and killing a business partner?"

"Is that what your file says?" Harold asked, "That I beat my daughter?"

"Did you?"

"Well, she had an attitude."

"She talked back to you?"

"Yeah. She was a fucking retard when she first came to me. She started learning things and suddenly she thinks she's the queen." Harold snorted, "I taught her who was in charge."

"And then killed someone."

"Yeah, well he had nothing to do with Caroline." Harold shrugged, "She just happened to be there when I killed him."

"And she testified against you?"

"Look, why you asking me stuff you already know? All that shit is in that file." Harold growled.

"Well, the FBI has screwed up."

This caught Harold's attention. He thought maybe they had screwed up his case and he would be released.

"How come?" He asked.

"Caroline escaped from FBI custody a year ago."

"So?"

"So we need to find her." Jenna said, "I know that you know where she is."

"Really?"

"Prison phone records show that you talk daily with an old friend of yours. And his specialty just so happens to be finding people underground and being a fraud, like you." Jenna said, "He told you where Caroline is didn't he?"

"Well, if he did... what's it to you?" Harold smirked.

"See all these boxes?" Jenna asked, "They're filled with stuff about Caroline. She's a stalker, a murdered, robber and fraud. Just like her father."

"Murderer? She couldn't even kill a fly if she had to." Harold said.

"Well, she murdered two women in the last year. We found her prints on the murder weapon." Jenna said, "The problem is that since the FBI took away everything about her when she got into their custody, we can't find her. Because she doesn't exist."

"So you want me to tell you where she is?"

"Yes."

"And what do I get in return?"

"What do you want?" Jenna asked.

"I want my sentence shortened with ten years. It would give me a chance to come out by the time I'm seventy." Harold said.

Jenna nodded. She stepped outside to talk to the FBI. Agent Stoker was against the deal. So was the district attorney. Jenna had a plan however. She walked back inside a few minutes later.

"Sorry, no deal Harold." She sighed, "Guess, we'll just have to take your old friend in to custody and talk to him."

"Bart?"

"Yeah. The guy you've called every day." Jenna said, "He should know. And when he heard that you gave us his name, well..."

"Alright, alright." Harold said, "I don't know where she lives. I just know her fake name."

"And it is?"

"Elisabeth Wilkerson. She has used it to rent cars, apartments and she works as a janitor at some company building." Harold said, "Just don't tell Bart that I told you this; that guy will kick my teeth in and a cut my throat if he hears this."

"Don't worry. We were never going to pick him up."

"What?"

"Federal prison phone calls are recorded; we could have just listened to them." Jenna shrugged, "And these boxes are empty. Your daughter hasn't murdered anyone. She's a stalker and that's it."

"You lied to me?"

"You beat her when she needed you the most." Jenna said, "And besides, I've always wanted to pretend I knew more things than I did in an interrogation."

"You fucking bitch!" Harold growled.

Jenna turned and left. Two guards walked in and tried to hold Harold still as he started trashing in his chair and kicking at the table. Jenna joined Agent Stoker and Horatio behind the two-way mirror.

"So if you could have just listened to the recordings of the calls why didn't you?" Agent Stoked asked.

"You want to listen through the recordings of phone calls made every day for the past two months?" Jenna asked.

"No."

"This was quicker." Jenna said and then looked at Horatio, "Let's see if we can find Elisabeth Wilkerson."

**-I-**

It had taken hours, but eventually they had found records of Elisabeth Wilkerson AKA Caroline Damon. Now the team stood in her apartment and the sight was disturbing. The walls were covered with pictures of Horatio. In some of them his team was there and Kyle. The most recent pictures had Jenna in them and the words "Die bitch die" written over them.

"Wow. These are old pictures." Frank said, "Look, here is one with you and Kyle in the park; he's only a few weeks old here."

"And this is from his first birthday." Calleigh said, "She's been stalking you for years. Something must have triggered her to make a move now."

Horatio sighed and went to the bedroom. In there it was even worse. Hearts had been drawn around Horatio's face. Several pictures were from times when he and Kyle had been by themselves; enjoying some father son time. To think that Caroline had followed him for so many years scared him. She could have done anything and he wouldn't have known about it. He hadn't even known that she had always been around.

Horatio eyes landed on a picture taken just outside the hospital where Kyle was born. Julia was on it. They were taking their son home, just two days after his birth. Horatio gently touched the photo.

"Creepy isn't it."

Horatio jumped and looked to his left to see Jenna there.

"Yes." He whispered, "To think that she's been following me for so long and I didn't even know it."

He kept looking at Julia and Jenna noticed. She put an arm on his shoulder.

"About last night." She said, "I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"Kissing you."

"Don't be."

"Well, I don't want us to move too fast." Jenna said.

Horatio was about to say something when Calleigh called for him. He and Jenna went to the living room. The pictures there had been altered to make it look like Horatio had willingly taken them with Caroline.

"Listen to this." Calleigh said, holding a diary, "_Today he had a baby. A boy. It should be our baby. I can see the blonde kissing him. It burns me from the inside. He's mine._"

"She hated Julia." Eric said.

"She hates every woman that she sees as a threat." Horatio said, "She hates Charlie because she can influence me; being the nanny and a friend. And because she's close to Kyle."

"And Je... well, any girlfriend you might have because uh..." Eric stuttered.

"What Eric is trying to say but is unsuccessful in doing, is that any woman she thinks is a love interest for you is also a threat." Speed said.

"Clearly she thinks Jenna is a one." Frank said and held up a book labeled "Die bitches".

"What's with the book?" Calleigh asked.

"It lists information about possible girlfriends to Horatio." Frank said, "Julia is here; she's the first one. Then district attorney Rebecca Nevins, than the clerk Cindy Hamilton, Julia Lopez and last Jenna Harrow."

"You went out with Nevins?" Speed asked surprised, "Isn't she like the most boring person in the universe."

"No, as Caroline clearly states in this book, she _though_t you were going out with all these women, but it turns out they were just friends. Well, except Julia of course." Frank said, "And she's barely written anything about Jenna."

"Wow! You guys kissed?" Calleigh asked, reading over Frank's shoulder.  
"What?" Horatio asked.

"Last night." Calleigh said.

Horatio blushed and Jenna looked anywhere but at the team. Frank chuckled. Then an officer walked in with camera equipment.

"Well, look at this; the best cameras in the world." Speed said, "No wonder she knew about your kiss last night. She could have been a block away and still been able to see it."

"How? My living room only faces the ocean." Horatio said.

"Okay, so she was on a boat then." Eric said, "Either way, she didn't have to be close to see. This explains why we haven't been able to find her in any of the photos of the crime scene crowds. She's not that close."

"She's good at hiding." Frank sighed

Horatio's head was spinning with all the information. He sat down on a kitchen chair and sighed. He was really beginning to feel stressed now. And not only because he wasn't sure how to react to Jenna's kiss. But because he had been stalked for years and Caroline knew everything about him. He hadn't thought it would bother him so much, but it did.

"How come she left all of this behind? Did she know we were coming?" Eric asked.

Speed picked up a police radio from under the couch.

"She sure did." He said.

"Wait." Calleigh said, "If she has a police radio..."

"She knows where the safe house if." Jenna said.

Just then Horatio's phone rang. He instantly got worried when he saw that it was Charlie.

"Yes Charlie?" He answered.

"_Someone is in the house_." Charlie whispered.

"What?"

"_Someone is here and it ain't a cop_."

"I'm on my way!"

_**Please review!**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks very much for the reviews! A big thank you to my editor, Alisa!**

**Warning: Sexual content in this chapter!**

Horatio's heart was pounding in his chest and he was panting. He drove like a maniac to the safe house. Cars honked their horns at him as he drove past them. Had this been any other time or someone on his team he would have considered it far too much of reckless driving. However, this wasn't like any other time. This was a time where he had to get to the house and save his son and friend.

He ran out of the car just in time to see the officers supposed to be guarding the safe house enter it. With his weapon raised he got closer to the door. Eric was right behind him.

**BOOM!**

He flew backwards. Hit his head. The wind got knocked out of him. Everything was blurry. He smelled something burning. Why were his glasses shattered next to him? Where was his gun?

He reached his arm out to the left and felt his gun. He grabbed it. Standing up, he saw flames engulf what used to be the safe house. Then someone was shaking him, talking to him... it was Eric. Horatio couldn't hear anything. His ears were ringing and he smelled something burning; probably the house.

"Kyle..."

"H? Can you hear me?" Eric yelled.

"Kyle is in there." Horatio murmured.

He pushed past Eric. The younger man tried to grip his supervisor's arm before he could run, but he failed. He screamed after him as the redhead ran towards the burning building. Horatio coughed as the smoke got in to his lungs. He had to find his son!

"Kyle!"

He looked around; saw the dead bodies of the two officers. He started lifting up some debris.

"Kyle!"

Suddenly someone grabbed him from behind and started pulling him out.

"No! Let me go!"

"This place can blow again, H!" Frank yelled.

With help from Speed and Eric he managed to pull the devastated man away from the building. Just as they reached the hummers at a safe distance the house blew once more. Horatio fought with his Texan friend to get loose. He was frantically trying to get to the house; thinking his son was there.

"H, they might have gotten out!" Speed yelled, trying to get his friend's attention.

Horatio used all his strength, but the three men together were stronger than him and he had no choice but to watch as the flames tore the house apart and it fell. Eventually the fire fighters arrived and started putting out the fire. More officers arrived and started searching for Caroline. Or more dead bodies besides the two officers.

When Horatio finally stopped fighting, Frank loosened his grip. The broken man fell to his knees; Frank knelt down next to him.

"Horatio!"

He heard someone yell; he recognized the voice as Jenna's. Then Calleigh was calling for him too. He didn't look up. He couldn't bear to look at anyone. As far as he knew his son, his precious boy, had been in the house when it blew up. Charlie had been there too. He couldn't stand to lose someone again. Especially not the light of his; Kyle.

"Daddy!"

Horatio's head whipped to the left and he saw his son. He was alive! He got on his feet and ran to his boy and Charlie. He picked Kyle up in a hug and had it not been for the boy complaining about his dad holding him too hard he was sure he wouldn't have hugged him until his ribs broke.

"Daddy! The house went boom!" Kyle exclaimed.

The boy held on to his father for dear life as tears streamed down his face. Never before had he been so scared in his short life. Charlie looked shaken and Horatio pulled her in for a hug too. The team approached them and then Alexx came running to hug her friends. She had known both Horatio and Charlie for a long time.

"How in god's name did you get out?" Frank asked.

"That psycho girl got distracted and we snuck out through the back door." Charlie said, "I would have tried to warn the officers, but the bitc... sorry, woman, got a gun."

"What did she do?" Calleigh asked.

"Looked around for us. Called Kyle's name. Then cut the gas pipe under the stove and put some sort of package on the floor with a timer on it; a bomb obviously." Charlie said.

"Why didn't the officers respond to her presence?" Horatio asked.

"Because she walked in dressed as a cop."

"What?" Frank exclaimed, "A cop?"

"Yeah. The whole outfit." Charlie said.

"How the hell did she get a police uniform?" Speed asked.

"She has got to know someone on the inside." Eric said.

"Remember he dad is a fraud. I bet his daughter has the same skills. She could have faked a police ID and gotten that uniform months ago." Frank said.

"Eric and Jenna, check if anyone looking like Caroline recently got a police uniform from the PD." Horatio said, "Speed, Calleigh process the scene."

"I'll see if I can find anyone that recently bought materials for a bomb." Frank sighed.

"Charlie." Horatio said, "We need to talk."

**-I-**

Eric and Jenna watched some old surveillance tapes and had been able to find a date and time when Officer Roberts, AKA Caroline Damon, picked up a uniform. She had created a fake ID and all the necessary paperwork in order to fool everyone that she was a cop.

Speed and Calleigh had managed to find almost all pieces of the bomb used. It turned out to be a small amount of C4; not enough to do damage on its own, but when used to ignite gas fumes from a stove it could do some serious damage.

Now the four of them were huddled together in the AV room watching as Caroline picked up a police radio and gun from the storage room on the surveillance video.

"She only pretended to be an officer during one day." Eric said, "It was all she needed to get the things she wanted."

"I spoke to the FBI; it turns out that Caroline had a boyfriend they didn't know about." Jenna said, "Nick Carranza."

"The bomber?" Speed asked.

"The one and only that likes to use the gas pipe under stoves and C4." Jenna said, "I spoke to the bomb squad and they said that those details were never revealed to the media; so you either have to be a cop and have access to the case file or know Nick Carranza to know those details."

"How do you know they were dating?" Eric asked Speed.

"Well, before the cops found out that Nick was behind the Miami University bombings three years ago; he was a regular school kid." Speed said, "And he was in the same class as Caroline."

"Two psychopaths found each other and what do you get?" Jenna asked, "A bomber and a stalker."

"And after Nick was caught? The FBI never got worried that Caroline had been dating him?" Eric asked.

"Well no, they didn't know until they processed her apartment and found hidden photos with Nick and her on them." Calleigh said and then sighed, feeling frustrated and tired, "This is hopeless."

"How so?" Eric asked.

"We got a stalker and murderer that not only knows how to fake ID cards and papers, but she also knows how to blow up a house." Calleigh said, "And we still have no idea where she is. She's faster than the speed of light."

"We will find her." Speed said.

"How?" Calleigh asked.

Calleigh usually wasn't one to feel like it was all hopeless. But after working with the case for more hours than anyone could count even "Bullet Girl" could lose hope.

"Sooner or later she will try to get face to face with H." Speed said, "And we'll be there waiting."

"So why do you think she blew up the safe house today?" Eric asked, "To kill Kyle?"

"If necessary. But I think it's more about getting rid of Charlie and making Horatio know that she is serious and dangerous."

"Do you think she was born a psycho or raised one by her mom and dad?" Speed asked.

"Who knows?" Jenna shrugged, "Either way, her childhood didn't exactly help in life."

"Now what do we do?" Eric asked.

"We keep Horatio safe. This time one of us stays with him at all times." Jenna said.

**-I-**

Kyle hugged his father and cried. Horatio had just packed a new bag of clothes for him. In one hand Kyle held Tristan (whom he had taken with him before the safe house blew up). With the other hand Kyle clutched his father's shirt.

Charlie was waiting in the hallway; she also had a bag packed with clothes. They were back in Horatio's house, but Charlie and Kyle weren't going to stay much longer. A police car was waiting outside to take them to the airport.

After talking to Charlie Horatio had decided that it would be best for her to go home to Chicago and stay with her mother until Caroline had been caught. Charlie had refused to go without Kyle and Horatio had agreed that it would be for the best if the boy went with her.

"I don't wanna go daddy." Kyle sobbed.

"Kyle, look at me."

The boy pulled away from his dad to look in his eyes. Horatio sighed and ran a hand through Kyle's hair.

"Kyle. I want to keep you safe and to do that I need you to go with Charlie, okay?" Horatio said, "I can't keep you safe otherwise."

"But da bad woman will get you." Kyle sobbed.

"No, no she won't. I won't let her and neither will my team." Horatio said, "But it's dangerous for you to stay here."

Horatio couldn't imagine putting Kyle through any more danger. He had already come close to losing him. He had thought that Kyle had been gone when the house blew up. Horatio couldn't live without his son, so he had to keep him safe. This was the only way.

"Now Kyle, I'm going to call every day." Horatio smiled, "And you'll be back soon, okay?"

Kyle nodded and sniffed. Horatio grabbed his hand and they walked to Charlie in the hallway. She smiled as she saw the boy. After hugging his father for a long, long time, Kyle eventually let go and went outside with Charlie.

Horatio watched as the police car drove them away. He didn't usually pray, but now he prayed to higher powers to keep his boy and Charlie safe. He wouldn't be able to relax until Charlie called him and told him that they were both safe in Chicago.

A car pulled up and out stepped Frank; they had told Horatio that one of them would always be with him. Horatio greeted his friend at the door. It was going to be long days without Kyle there and with a maniac still on the loose.

**-I-**

Horatio had fallen asleep on the couch with the phone in his hand. It had been several hours since Charlie and Kyle had left and Charlie had called to say that they had arrived safely in Chicago. Horatio had after the conversation only meant to close his eyes for a few seconds. Now he opened his eyes and realized that a few hours had passed. He rubbed his eyes and instantly froze when he heard someone walk to the living room. With a hand on his gun he was greeted by...

"Whoa! Slow down there. It's just me." Jenna smiled, "I made some coffee."

Horatio sighed in relief and gratefully took a cup from Jenna. She sat down next to him and watched him drink almost half the cup in just seconds.

"Where is Frank?" He asked.

"Home I think, or at work. I replaced him an hour ago." Jenna said, "You're stuck with me tonight."

"That's not so bad." Horatio smiled.

"Good. Calleigh will replace me in the morning." Jenna smiled, "And there is a police car outside."

Horatio nodded and leaned back against the couch. His back was aching from sleeping on it. Jenna put the cup on the table and turned her body towards him.

"I give great massage." She said.

Horatio looked at her and she smiled.

"And you're offering one to me?"

"Yes." She said, "You look like you might need it."

Horatio blushed and smiled. He turned his back towards Jenna and she put her hands on him. He had to admit she was good and he soon found himself relaxing more than he thought was possible. Jenna's hands were warm on his back.

"So um, how are you really feeling?" She asked, after a moment of silence.

"Terrible."

"I thought you always said that you're _fine_, at least that's what everyone has told me."

Horatio chuckled and Jenna smiled. Horatio did always say that he was fine, but it was so easy to be honest with Jenna that he just told her the truth.

"Well, I'm uh, too tired to lie." Horatio sighed, "I won't feel better until Caroline is in jail and Kyle is back home with me."

"We're going to find her soon."

"I hope so." Horatio whispered.

Jenna nodded, although Horatio couldn't see it. She massaged him some more and then stopped when her hands started aching. Horatio turned around to face her and smiled. Their eyes locked and after awhile, they looked away and blushed.

"You regret it?" She asked.

"What?"

"Our kiss."

Horatio shook his head. It had been nice. He wanted to kiss her again, but something held him back. This time it wasn't Julia that held him back, but fear; of being hurt.

"I liked it." Jenna smiled, "You're a good kisser."

"You can't tell that from just one kiss." Horatio blurted out and then blushed crimson.

Jenna grinned and leaned closer. She brought her face closed to Horatio's and let their lips meet. Horatio's heart skipped a beat and though he would have normally run away; he found himself pulling Jenna closer and deepening the kiss.

He could feel Jenna's hands on his face and he placed one hand on her hip. His pulse was beginning to beat faster. Jenna moaned and Horatio placed his other hand on the back of her head; drawing her even closer.

When they needed to breathe they finally parted and looked at each other; their foreheads touching.

"I'm sorry." Jenna said.

"No, don't be." Horatio said, "Just... that was nice."

"It was. You're definitely a good kisser."

Horatio smiled. Jenna caressed his cheek.

"I know you will probably feel a bit guilty about this in the morning. One doesn't move on from the death of a wife in just one night." Jenna whispered, "But for tonight you should let yourself enjoy this; let go for tonight."

Horatio knew she was right. About Julia and about letting go. He ignored the thoughts in his head warning him about doing something wrong. His heart told him that he wasn't doing anything wrong tonight. He leaned in and kissed Jenna again.

Jenna put a hand on his chest, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. Horatio moved both his hands to her thighs. Jenna moaned and moved closer to him; her breasts getting pressed against his chest. It felt almost like a dream; Horatio hadn't been with a woman since Julia had died.

He felt Jenna move to lie down and she pulled him with her. He placed himself between her legs. They broke apart from kissing and he felt Jenna's lips on his neck. Horatio put his hands on her breasts and squeezed them. His manhood was pressing against Jenna and she rolled her hips against him. He started unbuttoning her blouse and felt her do the same with his shirt.

When their shirts were on the floor Horatio raised himself on his hands and looked down at her. Jenna pulled him down and kissed him again. Horatio's hands found their way back to her breasts and he unclipped her bra. When his hands felt her hardened nipples and the soft skin of her breasts he almost lost it. He massaged her; she had perfect breasts; round and soft. Her skin glistened in the dim lit room. Horatio moved his lips down and took a nipple into his mouth. Jenna arched against him; her lower body rubbing against his manhood.

"Oh, that's so good."

Jenna closed her eyes. Horatio sucked and squeezed her breasts. Jenna ran her hands through his hair and down his back.

"Uh, Horatio."

Horatio started kissing his way down her body and reached her jeans. With shaking hands and with a heart hammering in his chest, he unbuttoned her pants and pulled them off her legs. He swallowed hard as he watched Jenna just lying there on his couch wearing nothing but panties. He reached out and pulled them off. Jenna spread her legs wider and Horatio ran his hands down her thighs to her core.

"You are so beautiful." He whispered.

He bent down and kissed her just above her swollen bud; Jenna moaned. Her hands moved through his red hair. Horatio parted her lips and licked her pearl. He smiled when Jenna gasped and did it again.

"Uh, yes! Just like that!"

Jenna arched her back; squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed a fistful of Horatio's hair. His tongue worked its magic on her and she then felt him push a finger inside her. He was good; very good.

"Oh, god!"

She felt Horatio explore and find out what she liked; which didn't take very long. He soon had her legs shaking and she was just on the edge of climax. He licked her faster and inserted another finger inside her wet, warm core. Horatio could feel her starting to contract around him.

"Oh, Horatio! Uh!"

Gasping Jenna reached climax. Her chest was heaving and her heart pounded. Horatio kept going as she writhed on the couch. When she finally came down from cloud nine he pulled out and leaned over her to kiss her. Jenna wasted no time and reached her hands down to his pants. She undid Horatio's belt buckled and slid a hand inside his boxers.

Horatio moaned and rubbed against her hand. He was big and hard. Jenna licked her lips and then pushed herself up in a sitting position. She slid off the couch and got down between his legs. Horatio was panting and watched with wide eyes as Jenna pulled his pants and boxers off. Her hand wrapped around his length and she grinned at him. Horatio gasped and bucked his hips when Jenna enveloped his manhood in to her mouth.

"Ah, yes."

His eyes closed and he his head dropped back against the couch. Jenna's tongue swirled around his shaft; from top to bottom. Horatio ran his fingers through her hair and tried not to thrust into her mouth.

"Oh, yeah, just like that."

Jenna moaned and looked up at her lover. She smiled and then stood up. Horatio was breathing heavily. Jenna straddled him and grabbed his shaft to guide him inside her. Horatio gasped as her warm, wet core enveloped him. Jenna grabbed onto his shoulders and started to gently rock her hips.

Horatio grabbed onto her hips and every time Jenna pushed down he thrusted up in to her.

"Uh, Horatio! Oh god!"

Jenna's eyes closed and she started moving faster. Horatio gritted his teeth and moaned. He grew harder inside her and thought he was going to explode with pleasure. Jenna's nails dug into his skin as she rode him.

Horatio used one hand to squeeze her breast. He thrusted harder in to her and Jenna pushed down just as hard. He legs started shaking again. Horatio could feel his own climax coming.

"Uh, Jenna!"

He groaned and gasped. Her inner walls started to squeeze around his length. He grabbed her hips with both hands again and lifted her up and pushed her down roughly. He thrusted faster and harder. Jenna moaned and opened her eyes. She looked down and Horatio looked up; looking into each other's eyes.

"Oh, Horatio!"

She clenched around him and she reached climax again. As Jenna contracted around Horatio's manhood, he thrusted faster and finally came. He spilled his seed inside her and continued thrusting until his length started getting limp. Jenna slumped against him. Their bodies were sweaty and both were tired. They breathed heavily and their hearts pounded in their chests.

"We forgot protection." Horatio mumbled.

"I got tested a month ago, I'm clean and on the pill." Jenna smiled.

"I'm clean too." Horatio said.

They smiled and Jenna kissed his shoulder.

"I think I can sleep for a week." She mumbled.

"Well, I do have a double bed." Horatio grinned.

Jenna pulled off Horatio and he had the time to look at her gorgeous body. Jenna noticed that he was looking and chuckled. She grabbed his hand and pulled Horatio to his feet.

"Let's go to bed." She whispered.

Horatio smiled and lead her to the bedroom.

**_Please review!_**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you all very much for the reviews and a big thank you to my editor, Alisa!**

_He looked at the casket as it was lowered into the ground. Inside it was his wife. It was raining; as if the world mourned with him over the loss of such a beautiful soul as Julia. His beloved wife. Forever taken from him. He heard a noise and glanced behind him to see Alexx holding his son. His boy would never know his mother. Horatio felt tears threatening to fall; he eventually let them stream down his cheeks. His wife was going to be buried six feet under. It was his fault. If only he had been the one to drive to the supermarket that day, if only Julia had stayed home with their son. He would have died rather than to lose Julia. If only..._

Horatio gasped and woke up; next to him was Jenna. They were in his bed and both were naked. Horatio tried to push the day of his wife's funeral out of his mind. He knew deep down that he had done nothing wrong that day; but still he felt guilty that he hadn't been able to save Julia. Suddenly an intense feeling being shy and feeling even more guilty came over him and Horatio snuck out of the bed; quickly he put on a pair of boxers. Just as he was about to sneak out of the room Jenna woke up; she stretched her body and smiled at him.

"Sneaking out?" She asked.

"No uh, just going to make some coffee." Horatio said, but his blush gave him away.

Jenna patted the bed next to her and Horatio lied down next to her. He knew that she wanted to talk about last night, and probably what was going to happen now.

"Look, I know you feel guilty right now for sleeping with me." Jenna said, "And that's okay. And I know you're scared."

"I'm not scared."

"I think you are, but that's okay." Jenna smiled, "Let's just take it slow; no commitments or responsibilities. Just some fun. Let's see where it leads us. Allow yourself to enjoy this; even if it's only for physical pleasure."

Horatio pondered for a moment and then nodded. He was feeling guilty for sleeping with Jenna; he felt like he had betrayed Julia. But somehow, Jenna made it all easier to deal with because she understood. She wasn't expecting anything from him and that made him relax. He knew that eventually they would have to either decide to be friends or have a serious relationship, but he was grateful for being given some time to get used to the idea and to move on before things got serious.

"Now, I would love some coffee, but I would love a shower more." Jenna grinned.

"Well, I can start the coffee machine and you can shower in the meantime."

"No, no. I don't want to shower alone." Jenna smirked.

She climbed out of bed and made her way to the bathroom while swaying her hips a little extra just to tease the redhead. Horatio groaned and looked towards the bathroom; either he followed her or left to go downstairs to the kitchen. He decided on the first and entered the bathroom.

"You can't shower with your boxers on." Jenna said.

Horatio blushed crimson and Jenna laughed. She reached her hands out and pulled his boxers down. To Horatio's surprise she didn't start anything; she just took his hand and led him into the shower. The warm water made him relax and he soon found himself kissing Jenna.

Their naked bodies were almost glued together, but there was something romantic about it, not erotic. It wasn't about sex this time, just simple kissing and having someone close. Being able to hold someone close.

Suddenly there was the sound of cars pulling up outside and some yelling. Horatio jumped out of the shower and told Jenna to stay in the bathroom. Horatio ran to the bedroom, put on some sweatpants and looked for his gun; only to remember that it was still downstairs in the living room. He cursed quietly and opened his closet. He kept a baseball bat there and he grabbed it before sneaking down the stairs.

The front door got kicked in and someone was yelling for him.

"MDPD! Horatio!"

Horatio relaxed as he reached the bottom floor and he went to the living room to find Frank, Calleigh and Speed there, together with five uniformed officers. They saw him and lowered their guns.

"Jesus Horatio!" Frank exclaimed, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, why are you kicking my door in?" Horatio asked.

He blushed when he realized that he had no shirt on. He saw his shirt from yesterday on the living room floor and grabbed it to put it on. The five officers left to give the team some private time to talk. Calleigh looked around and saw discarded clothes on the floor. She was supposed to be "babysitting" Horatio during the day (as he was not allowed to go to work by the Chief). Calleigh quickly guessed that Jenna, whom had been with Horatio during the night, hadn't left yet.

"What happened in here?" Speed asked.

"I think the more important question is why are you guys here?" Horatio asked.

"We got a 911 call saying you were shot in your home." Frank said, "We haven't been able to trace it. A woman's voice. Probably Caroline trying to trick us."

"Have you seen her?" Horatio asked.

"No and the officers outside your house in the car fell asleep; for which I will give them serious consequences. Your neighbor saw someone looking like a repair guy... well woman, sneaking around." Frank sighed, "She's been around here, that's for sure."

"Hopefully she never made it inside my house." Horatio said, "Why don't you have some officers look around."

"I will."

Frank told three officers to search the house. One of them was just on his way upstairs when a yelp made them all freeze. Horatio blushed and ran upstairs.

"What the hell is going on?" Frank asked.

"I think Horatio had a special lady friend here." Calleigh smirked.

Frank looked at the floor and saw all the clothes. He chuckled. Eventually a fully clothed Jenna Harrow came down the stairs after Horatio. The officers walked upstairs after them, to search the second floor. Horatio and Jenna blushed when they joined the team in the living room.

"Well, this explains why you came down without a shirt earlier." Frank smirked.

"We were just um... we weren't..." Horatio stammered.

"Of course not." Speed said, "What gave us that idea, right?"

"What about the yelp?" Calleigh asked.

"I slipped in the shower." Jenna said.

Horatio blushed even more when his three team members looked surprised at him.

"Well, well, well... Horatio you and I should talk later." Frank chuckled.

Horatio just shook his head.

"Well, I should get home and change clothes." Jenna said.

"And get some sleep; you were here last night now it's my shift." Calleigh said, "You coming back tonight?"

"Uh, yeah, unless someone else is taking the night shift."

"No, you two could need some time together." Speed teased.

"Shut up Speed." Horatio growled.

A phone started ringing and it turned out to be Calleigh's. She stepped outside on the back porch to take it. Speed and Frank just smirked at Jenna and Horatio.

"I believe Eric owes me twenty dollars." Speed said.

"You bet on us?" Jenna asked.

"Only how long it would take for the two of you to finally succumb to your lust." Speed shrugged, "Eric thought it would take another week."

"Speaking of which, where is young Mister Delko?" Horatio asked.

The tone of his voice clearly showed that he had switched from his private self to work self. He was now lieutenant Caine, not Horatio Caine. Frank and Speed pulled themselves together and stopped smirking.

"Trying to trace the 911 call with Cooper." Speed said, "It's bouncing off several satellites; it can take hours before he and Coopers find out where it came from."

Calleigh came back inside and she looked slightly happy.

"Good news, the FBI called and told me that they found a contact to Caroline." Calleigh said, "Also a known fraud. They found his contact information in a coded letter under a rug in Caroline's apartment."

"We get to talk to him I hope?" Frank asked.

"Oh yes, Agent Stoker says we get to go first." Calleigh smiled, "However, I'm staying here, so Frank, you and Speed take it. Jenna, get some sleep and come back tonight."

Everybody nodded and left. Horatio sighed when only he and Calleigh were left. She told him what she knew about Caroline's contact.

"Good, then maybe we can finally find her." Horatio said.

"I hope so." Calleigh said.

**-I-**

George Dallas had been a fraud all his life. In fact, nobody was sure if George Dallas was even his real name. The FBI had several aliases for him; the last one was Bart Taylor. Bart was the name of the man that had called Caroline's father Harold Damon in jail every day for the past two months. George was an old friend of Harold's and apparently had kept an eye on Caroline for years since Harold went to jail.

In fact, the team suspected that it was George that had helped Caroline become so successful in keeping hidden and managing to always keep track of what the police knew about her. However, George refused to talk without a deal. Frank and Speed hated to make deals with criminals, but they felt that George's information would be worth it. They needed it to catch Caroline Damon.

State attorney Rebecca Nevins, Frank and Speed were standing behind the two-way mirror. Nevins had written a deal for George; it seemed a bit too good according to Frank, but Nevins claimed it was worth it.

"According to the FBI he's over seventy years old. He won't live very long, especially not since he's a persistent smoker." Nevins said.

"Still, we offer him 15 years in jail max and he tells us everything about Caroline Damon." Speed said, "It just seems to be better than he deserves."

"Yes, but it's our only chance." Nevins sighed.

"That man has never been in jail, he's that good." Frank said, "Couldn't you at least make it 25 years?"

"He won't go for it." Nevins said.

Frank sighed and grabbed the paper. He and Speed entered the interrogation room and handed George the paper with the deal. George smiled and nodded.

"Fair enough." He smirked, "What can I do for you gentlemen?"

"What do you know about Caroline Damon?" Frank asked.

"Sit down, this could take a while." George said.

He told him how he had known Caroline since the day she had been born. He had always kept an eye on her, ever since her drug addict mother took her home from the hospital. He also knew that Harold had never been interested in taking care of Caroline. After Caroline had testified against Harold for the FBI, he had asked George to continue looking after her. So George made contact with Caroline in school, pretending to be a substitute teacher, he told her how to escape from FBI custody. Caroline did and ever since then, she had lived in an apartment that George had helped her get.

"You see, Caroline is smart enough to pick up on everything the FBI told her and everything they did. She learnt their routines and what type of equipment they used; they underestimated her and thought she was too stupid to learn anything." George said, "That was their mistake."

"Just like she learned how to make bombs from Nick Carranza." Frank said.

"Exactly. This was before he became a famous bomber. Although, he taught her things because he hoped she would be his partner, but she never planned to be that. She talked about using a bomb to take you guys out a year ago." George smirked, "Said you stood in the way of her goal."

"Her goal, being to have Horatio Caine all to herself." Frank said.

"Yes." George said, "Caroline is psychologically stable enough to use what she knows, but not stable enough to do it without a bit of help."

"Which is where you come in." Speed said.

"Yeah, she's not a professional fraud. I helped her fake a police ID so she could get a uniform a few weeks ago, thus also get a police radio. She's been listening to all your radio conversations ever since; it's how she knew where the safe house was." George chuckled, "And how she managed to sneak in and place the bomb."

"That bomb almost killed Horatio's son and nanny." Speed growled.

"I know. Caroline changed her target; she knew that as long as Charlie and Kyle were around, Horatio would never see her." George said, "Although, she doesn't understand that he won't see her anyway."

"You helped her get a job as a janitor and rent her apartment too?" Speed asked.

"Yeah, I created her alias Elisabeth Wilkerson for her." George smirked.

"Why help her? You don't have to." Frank asked.

"I'm old. And she is the daughter of my best friend." George shrugged, "Besides, by helping her I get to fool you cops anyway; just through her instead."

"She's been obsessed with Horatio for years, why make a move now?" Speed asked.

"Because she's dying."

"Huh?" Speed asked surprised.

"She was diagnosed with terminal cancer five months ago." George said.

Frank and Speed sighed. They started to leave when George got their attention.

"Oh by the way, she said something a while back." George smirked, "She said that if she couldn't have Horatio in this life she would take him with her to the next."

Speed and Frank looked at each other and hurried to the lab. They knew what it meant; Caroline would kill Horatio.

"Let's hope Cooper and Eric has managed to track that damn 911 call." Frank growled.

**-I-**

During the same time that Frank and Speed were interrogating George Dallas, Calleigh was enjoying some coffee on the back porch, while Horatio was on the phone with Kyle in his bedroom. It was very hot and humid day and Calleigh was using a news paper as a fan. When her coffee cup was empty she went to the kitchen to get some more. She could hear Horatio's laughter from upstairs.

As she was filling up her cup Calleigh heard something and turned around. She immediately took her gun out of her holster and started to walk towards the living room. It was quiet now, but she had a gut feeling that something was wrong. As she entered the living room with her gun raised she failed to see her person behind her, sneaking out from Kyle's room. Caroline, being petite, had been hiding under a heap of clothes in the closet where the cops hadn't thought of looking.

With a powerful blow to the head she knocked Calleigh out cold. She managed to grab Calleigh's body before she hit the floor and made noises that would alert Horatio of her presence. Gently she lowered Calleigh down on the floor then grabbed Calleigh's gun (since Caroline's own gun had never had any bullets in it).

With a sinister smile Caroline cocked the gun and started to walk upstairs...

**_Please review!_**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks very much for all the reviews! And a big thank you to my editor, Alisa.**

Horatio groaned and opened his eyes. He looked up at the roof of his bedroom and frowned. He remembered talking on the phone with Kyle and just after hanging up something... or someone... had hit him in the head. Everything had gone black. His head was hurting and he tried to move his hand down when suddenly something stopped it.

Turning his head up he looked at the handcuffs around his wrists and the headboard; his own handcuffs. His pulse immediately went up as he realized that there was only person that could have done this... Caroline!

He pulled at the cuffs and then tried to move his legs only find that they too were cuffed to the bed. He cursed and looked around. His gun was on his nightstand as well as his phone. If Caroline had managed to get inside his house that meant that... Calleigh! He hoped that his ballistic expert and friend was alive and unharmed.

He heard someone walk up the stairs and listened carefully. Eventually a woman appeared in the doorway with a smile. Horatio recognized her as Caroline Damon. She smiled and stepped closer to the bed. Horatio could see that she was naked. Horatio started breathing heavily with horrible thoughts of what Caroline could do came to mind. He just hoped that his team would find out before she managed to go through with anything.

"Finally awake." She smiled, "I've wanted to meet you for so long."

"Caroline, let me go."

"I can't. I don't trust you enough to do that. We both know that you've been playing very hard to catch."

"I uh, I need to use the bathroom. I won't run, I promise."

"I know you won't run, especially since I have a gun and your blonde CSI downstairs. I could kill her, you know." Caroline said.

Horatio sighed in relief; Calleigh was alive. Well, if he was to believe the words of a maniac that is. Caroline showed Horatio the gun and he saw that it was Calleigh's. Caroline sat down on the bed and put a hand on his chest. She smiled and let her hand caress his body. Horatio tried to move away and Caroline laughed.

"You're not going anywhere, Horatio." She said, "You're going to stay here with me."

"Caroline, don't do this."

"Why? We are meant to be together. You just have a hard time realizing it. It's okay though, once we're through with my plans we can be together forever." Caroline smiled, "And Kyle will be okay without you."

"Excuse me?"

"Kyle can have others to take care of him. We can wait for him to join us when he's old enough." Caroline said.

Horatio paled as he now knew that Caroline planned to kill him. He pulled at the cuffs with his arms and legs, but they wouldn't budge. Caroline smirked and then straddled him. Horatio froze.

"Caroline, get off."

"Oh Horatio, I can't do that. For years I have planned this." Caroline said, "Although, I didn't exactly plan to do this now, but fate has forced me to act faster."

"Please, don't do this. If you let me go I will help you."

"I don't need help! There is nothing wrong with me." Caroline growled.

She still held Calleigh's gun in her hand, but then put in on the nightstand. She then started to unbutton Horatio's shirt. He tried to move his hips to push her off, but Caroline stayed and laughed at him.

"Trying to get me off or trying to turn me on?" She asked and winked.

Horatio tried to pull his arms down again, causing the cuffs around his wrists to cut into his skin. He could feel the blood trickling down his arms. Caroline pushed the shirt aside and bent down to give Horatio a kiss. He turned his head as her lips touched his and she growled at him. A hard slap to the face was what he got and then Caroline tried to kiss him again. Horatio turned his head away again.

"Stop it! Or I will kill Blondie downstairs!"

Horatio glared at Caroline. She held his head in her hands this time and managed to kiss him. He didn't kiss back. Caroline then kissed his neck and let hands caress his chest. She pressed her breasts against him. At any other time and with any other woman this would have turned Horatio on, but now it was just disgusting. He tried to get her off him again by moving his body and making her lose her balance; Caroline just sighed annoyed at him.

She dug her nails into his waist and Horatio hissed in pain.

"Be still!"

"Let me go!" Horatio growled.

Caroline smirked and shook her head. She pinned her body against his and kissed him. Horatio growled and tried to fight her off again; he could tell she was starting to lose her balance and she had to fight to stay on. Although she tried to hide it. Caroline laughed and grinding her body against him.

Horatio pulled with his arms again and hissed when the cuffs dug deeper into his skin.

"You really refuse to give up." Caroline smiled, "It's one of the things I love about you."

"Caroline, you don't have to do this." Horatio said, "Take the cuffs off and I will give you what you want."

"Oh no, darling. You will give me what I want this way." Caroline smiled, "We're soul mates."

"It doesn't exist."

"Don't say that! It exists." Caroline said, "We are meant to be together and now nothing can come between us."

Horatio glared at her and Caroline just grinned. She let her hands wander down to his belt buckle and when she started to remove it Horatio felt panic creep up on him. He had to do something. He had to try harder to get her off!

He started to move his entire body and bucked his hips so violently that Caroline finally lost her balance. She fell off him down to the floor. Horatio could hear the head and footboard creek as he pulled at the cuffs. All he needed was a little more time and he could break free.

He froze when he felt the barrel of a gun against his temple.

"Stop fighting me!" Caroline growled, "This is what we should do. Unite as one and then spend forever together."

Horatio watched as she put the gun next to him on the bed and then straddled him again. His chest was heaving, his heart hammering his in chest and his body was getting tired. But he refused to give up. When Caroline reached for his zipper, Horatio decided to try something new before she could pull it down and he spat her in the face. The look he received could have killed.

"What the hell did you just do to me?" Caroline asked.

The tone of her voice was like venom and Horatio could see she was like a bomb ready to explode. Her patience with him was running thin.

"Stop this madness, Caroline. You're about to rape a police officer." Horatio said.

Caroline grabbed the gun and slammed it into his head. Horatio's vision got blurry and he groaned. The room was spinning and the pain that radiated from his head was unbearable. He could feel blood oozing down his neck. He was panting now and couldn't even move. He tried to shake his head to clear his vision, but it only made it worse. He could feel Caroline's cold hands on his chest and she was saying something. He was too dizzy to hear what it was.

"That was a bit too hard." Caroline said, "Can you hear me darling?"

"Urgh."

"I will make it up to you." Caroline smiled.

Horatio closed his eyes and tried to breathe. He could feel Caroline caressing his cheek. His head was pounding. He opened his eyes quickly when he felt Caroline pull down his zipper.

"Please don't." He slurred.

"Why? This will feel good."

"Just... um, give me a few minutes." Horatio said.

He needed to stall time. Time for Calleigh to wake up downstairs, time for his team to realize that something was wrong. Time for him to come up with something to make Caroline stop. His head was pounding and he was getting really tired.

"Okay, a few minutes." Caroline sighed.

She continued to caress his face and chest. Even kissing him. He started to feel sick, he wanted to vomit. He was sure that he had a concussion.

**-I-**

In the meantime downstairs, Calleigh was starting to wake up. She was on the floor in the living room. Her head was pounding after Caroline had hit her and she groaned as she sat up. Her gun was gone. Caroline was in the house! There could be no one else.

Sitting up slowly Calleigh noticed that it was very quiet. Where was Horatio? She jumped when her phone started buzzing. She was grateful for not having the sound on.

"Duquesne." She whispered.

"Calleigh, why are you whispering?" Eric asked.

"Caroline is here."

"Come again?"

"She is in the house. Knocked me out. I just woke up." Calleigh said.

"Calleigh, we traced the 911 call made this morning. It took a while but we finally managed to do it." Eric said, "It was made from inside the house."

"Inside?"

"Yes. Caroline called us, but she was already inside." Eric said.

"How?"

"Don't know, but nothing surprises me anymore." Eric said, "We're on our way. Don't do anything without backup."

"I will if Horatio is in danger." Calleigh said and hung up.

Calleigh quietly stood up and walked into the kitchen. She pulled up a chair to the cabinets and got up on it; she knew Horatio kept an extra gun on top of the cabinets. She grabbed it and checked for ammo; it was full.

Quietly as a mouse she started to move upstairs; hoping the creaking steps wouldn't give her away.

**-I-**

"Your minutes are up. We have to do this now before Blondie wakes up." Caroline smiled.

She kissed him deeply and Horatio turned his face away. This time Caroline ignored it and reached for his pants. She slid her hand inside his trousers and started to stroke him.

Horatio willed his body not to respond and did his best to shake Caroline off him. He could see how angry she got when he wasn't responding to her touches.

"Feels good, huh? You will soon enjoy this." She said.

She grinded her body against him and then started to pull his pants down. When she saw that Horatio's body was reacting in its natural way to the stimuli she smirked victoriously at him. Horatio tried to shake her off, with all the power he had. Caroline kissed him through his boxers and then licked her way up his chest.

"Stop it!"

"This will be good, you'll like it." She whispered.

Her hand slid inside his boxers and she started caressing him. Horatio tried to think of anything but what she was doing to him. Willing his body not to respond.

"Stop!" Horatio exclaimed.

"Relax baby, you will soon beg me for more." Caroline smiled.

"GET OFF HIM BITCH!"

Caroline stopped and looked towards the door. She stayed on Horatio, but her hands moved to his chest. She glared at Calleigh; angry that she had interrupted her.

"He likes it. He responds to me."

"No!" Horatio growled, "Get off me!"

Calleigh took a step closer. Caroline leaned her body against Horatio, pretending to lean down for a kiss. But before anyone could react she grabbed the gun lying beside the redhead.

"I want him." She said.

"You can't have him." Calleigh growled, "Now get off or I will shoot."

Caroline aimed the gun at Horatio. He didn't dare to move. Calleigh aimed her gun directly at Caroline's head.

"One more step and I shoot him." Caroline warned.

From downstairs they could hear the door being kicked in and Speed yell "MDPD". They came running up the stairs, but stayed behind Calleigh when they saw the scene in front of them.

"I will shoot him!" Caroline exclaimed.

"You do that and you will get a bullet in your brain." Calleigh warned, "You can walk away alive or leave in a body bag.

"I didn't do all of this to leave alone." Caroline smirked.

In the same moment that she pulled the trigger Calleigh pulled her trigger and two shots were heard. Caroline's lifeless body slumped down on top of Horatio. Speed and Calleigh instantly rushed to him and pulled Caroline off him.

"Oh my god!" Calleigh exclaimed, "Call an ambulance!"

_**Please review!**_

**** Editor's Note: i want to apologize for the wait on this chapter...it was due to a health issue in my family, that i couldn't get right to this...my dad is fine, just to let you know...and thanks for being patient with us. Alisa Neely a.k.a Alisa 123 ****


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks very much for all the reviews and a big thank you to my editor, Alisa!**

The pain was unbearable. Blood soaked his shirt and Horatio's vision got blurry. He heard someone call his name and then press their hands over his abdomen. He had been shot! His eyes started to close and it was getting harder to breathe. He tried to stay awake, but just didn't have the strength to do it. He thought of Kyle as he closed his eyes. He had to fight; for his boy. He refused to let his life end this way. He was going to grow old and die of old age, not shot by a stalker. Before he lost consciousness Horatio called out his son's name.

"H! Stay with us!" Speed yelled.

His hands pressed down on the bullet wound as he and Calleigh gently turned the redhead on his side. There was no exit wound so the bullet was still in his body. When Calleigh had shot Caroline, she had in turn shot Horatio. Blood soaked the bed and Speed's hands.

"Where is that DAMN ambulance?" Speed growled.

They could hear the sirens coming from down the street. Calleigh handed Speed a towel and he put it under his hands over the bullet wound. Blood soaked it in seconds.

"His pulse is weak." Calleigh said.

Just then Frank announced that the paramedics were coming up the stairs. Speed stepped aside, but watched like a hawk as the two men worked on Horatio. It quickly became clear that Horatio's condition was getting worse by the second. They hooked various tubes in him.

"Weak pulse." One said.

"He's lost too much blood." The other said.

Calleigh put a hand over her mouth and walked out of the room. Frank stayed with Speed. They watched as the paramedics lost the pulse and had to start CPR. Frank cursed and started to shift on his feet uncomfortably. Speed stared at the lifeless body of the redheaded lieutenant; his boss and friend.

"It's not working." One paramedic said.

"Don't stop." Speed growled, "Don't you dare stop!"

The paramedics looked at each other, but continued CPR. When they started shocking Horatio's body, Speed finally looked away. He never used to pray but he asked only one favor from whoever was in charge; all he wanted was for Horatio to survive.

"Don't make me tell Kyle he lost his father." Speed whispered.

Horatio's body shook again and again. Machines beeped and it seemed like it was over when finally he got a pulse.

"He's back! Let's get him to the hospital."

Speed sighed in relief and looked at Frank. The bald man nodded as he understood that Speed meant to go with Horatio in the ambulance. As the paramedics loaded Horatio on to a gurney and left, Speed was right behind them. Frank and Calleigh stayed and called the rest of the team.

"What do we tell Charlie?" Calleigh asked.

"Just tell her, that she and Kyle need to come home as soon as possible." Frank said.

Calleigh bent down next to Caroline's body. The young woman had been dead in seconds. Even though she had put through Horatio so much trouble, Calleigh felt sorry for her. Caroline Damon had grown up in hell with her mother and then ended up in a new hell with her father. No wonder the poor girl was damaged emotionally and psychologically.

"We need to process the room." Calleigh said.

"Eric is on the way." Frank said, "I'm calling Yelina."

**-I-**

Hours had passed and Horatio was still in surgery. The team had processed his house, while Jenna and Frank had interviewed neighbors and talked to the FBI. In the surgical waiting room Yelina sat between her son Ray Jr and Kyle. Charlie was asleep on a bench across from her. Yelina couldn't relax. The last time she had spent this many hours in the hospital had been when her husband had died. He had been shot and brought in to surgery, just like Horatio now. And just like now she had had no idea how her husband had been doing when suddenly a doctor showed up. Before he had even opened his mouth Yelina had known. The look in his eyes had said it all; it was the same look she had when she had to tell someone that their loved one had died.

Yelina could not go through that again. The Caine men had always gotten into trouble. Especially as young men it had seemed that they had spent more time in hospitals than out of them. Most of the time it was her husband Raymond that had been in the hospital; broken bones and concussions more than half of the time. He had been careless before he had met Yelina and sometimes after they had started dating. But with the birth of their son he had calmed down.

Horatio had always been the one of the two brothers that never looked for trouble, but always seemed to end up injured anyway. Instead of being a thrill-seeker like Raymond, he had got hurt when trying to protect others from injury.

Hearing footsteps in the hallway made Yelina snap out of her thoughts. She looked up at the door, but instead of a doctor walking in, it was Jenna. The young woman blushed when she saw Yelina.

"Hi." Jenna said, "How is he?"

"Don't know yet. I guess because he is still in surgery, he must be doing okay."

"True... I uh, Frank and I talked to the neighbors." Jenna said, "They had all seen someone looking like a repair guy, uh woman, walking around. It matches the clothes Caroline was wearing and dumped in Kyle's room."

"She used it so no one would suspect her."

"Yeah." Jenna said and sat down next to Kyle.

"Where did she learn all of this? To hide and cover her tracks?" Yelina asked.

"Partly from watching her father do business. But she also got help from his friend George Dallas." Jenna shrugged, "Not to mention she observed the FBI when she was in their protective custody. They never thought about not sharing procedures with her because they thought she was too stupid to learn."

"She proved them wrong." Yelina snorted, "Typical FBI."

Jenna chuckled. Yelina yawned.

"Coffee?" Jenna asked.

"Oh yes please." Yelina smiled.

Jenna stood up and went to buy some. Yelina smiled. She knew Jenna and Horatio had a crush on each other and she was confident that Jenna was just what Horatio needed. In many ways she was like Julia; independent, caring, confident and able to connect with people. However, Jenna seemed a bit tougher and not as shy as Julia had been. Instead Julia had had the biggest heart in the world.

Just as the other woman came back, Charlie woke up and a doctor in green scrubs appeared. He approached the three women.

"Yelina Salas?" He asked.

"That's me, but whatever it is you can share it with them." Yelina said.

"Okay then, I am Doctor Arnett and I performed the surgery on lieutenant Caine. The lieutenant is out of surgery now and you will be able to see him soon." The Doctor said, "He lost a lot of blood and we had to remove his spleen, but it looks good. I am fairly optimistic that he will recover soon, but he should try not to rush his recovery."

"Oh thank god. He will be fine." Yelina sighed.

"In time yes. He will of course be weak and tired for a while. I don't think he'll wake up today either, but he's lucky. It could have been a lot worse." The doctor said.

The three women smiled and thanked the doctor.

**-I-**

Four days later Jenna heard a lot of commotion coming from Horatio's room. She glanced back at Charlie and Kyle whom looked wide eyed at her. They hurried to the redhead's room and opened the door. He was sitting up looking very agitated and two nurses were trying to talk sense into him.

"You can't leave yet lieutenant."

"I can leave whenever I feel like it." Horatio growled.

"Horatio!" Jenna exclaimed.

Everyone looked at Jenna. Horatio was about to say something when he noticed Kyle. The boy saw his father's smile and rushed to his bed. Charlie helped him up on the bed and Kyle hugged the redhead.

The two nurses looked gratefully at Jenna and Charlie before they left. Clearly hoping that the two women could talk some sense into the redhead. Horatio had enough energy back to argue with doctors and nurses whenever he could. He hated hospitals and refused to stay in them longer than he felt was necessary, even if it meant injuring himself further.

"Why you wanna leave daddy?" Kyle asked.

"Daddy is not leaving sweetheart, not until his doctor says that it's okay." Charlie said.

Horatio glared at his friend.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm sure Jenna can handcuff you to the bed if she has to." Charlie said.

"I can and I will if you try to leave." Jenna warned.

Charlie and Jenna sat down on either side of the bed. Kyle grinned at his dad and told him all about his days at the day care. While Horatio's home was still a crime scene the young boy was staying with Charlie and loving every minute of it.

Kyle had taken his father's shooting quite well. He seemed to have understood enough of what had happened and had visited his father every day at the hospital. It always cheered both of them up.

"Hungry." Kyle said.

"You and I can go and look for something in the cafeteria." Charlie said.

Kyle jumped off the bed and grabbed Charlie's hand. He smiled at his dad before leaving the room. Horatio and Jenna glanced at each other as soon as the door closed and blushed.

"Hi." Horatio whispered.

They had not had any alone time in four days, as Horatio's hospital room had been swarming with friends during visitor hours. Mostly it was his team that had been there.

"Hello." Jenna smiled, "So uh... where are you going to stay when you get released?"

"I don't even know when I can get out of here so... I have no idea."

"Well, a little bird told me that maybe you can get out in two days."

"That bird being Alexx?"

"She's managed to persuade the doctor to release you into her care." Jenna said, "She said you would be happier at home than here."

"True."

"May I ask why you dislike hospitals so much?" Jenna asked.

Usually Horatio avoided answering that question. But he always found it so easy to talk to Jenna. He didn't have to say much so he simply said that his father had been violent and many of his childhood days had been spent in the hospital.

"I'm sorry you had to grow up with a father like that." Jenna said.

"Me too. But it's history now." Horatio said, "I promised myself I would never be like him to my own children."

"And you're not. You're a great father." Jenna smiled.

Horatio smiled at her. There was a moment of silence and then Jenna cleared her throat.

"So uh, back to my first question; where are you and Kyle going to stay when you get released?" Jenna asked.

"Uh... well... if my house is still a crime scene then I uh... don't know." Horatio said.

He knew that even if his house was no longer a crime scene he wouldn't be allowed to stay on his own for a few days. Alexx would make sure that someone could stay with him. He couldn't stay with Charlie since her apartment was way too small for three people to live there.

"Well uh... I think your house will be cleared soon." Jenna said, "But Alexx won't let you stay by yourself."

"I know."

"So... if you think it's alright I could stay with you and Kyle." Jenna said, "It's not that we're committing to anything. See it as a friend helping another friend."

Jenna and Horatio had talked about taking it slow so Jenna knew that she had to reassure him that her intentions were not to rush him.

"Uh... I'd like that." Horatio blushed.

Jenna grinned and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Just then the door opened and Kyle ran inside holding an ice cream. Charlie was right behind with some sandwiches for everyone.

"I hope we didn't interrupt anything." She smirked.

"No, no." Jenna and Horatio blushed.

Charlie just laughed.

**-I-**

_**Three years later**_

Seven year old Kyle ran down the aisle where his dad was waiting. His father stood next to Ray Jr, whom in turn stood next to Frank, all of them wearing tuxedos. Even Kyle had a tuxedo on.

"Dad, when is she coming?" Kyle whined impatiently, "It's been ages now."

"Kyle, a wedding is always slow." Frank said.

The boy sighed. He stood in front of his dad. Horatio was a bit nervous. It was three years to the day since he had met Jenna Harrow and today she was becoming his wife. They had taken things slow after he had been shot, but now they had lived together for two years. Kyle even called her "mom" although he knew that Jenna was not his birthmother.

"Dad you look like you're going to be sick." Kyle said.

"Not at all, son." Horatio smiled, "Just a little nervous."

"Why?"

"It's not every day that someone gets married." Horatio said.

"Just don't kiss for too long." Kyle said.

"Kyle, they should kiss on their wedding day." Ray Jr said.

The eight year old boy and his cousin giggled at the mental image and then said "yuck."

"We'll just look away." Ray Jr said and Kyle nodded in agreement.

Horatio chuckled and looked at his son. Already seven years old and getting taller every day. He would certainly grow taller than Horatio one day. Horatio then looked at his nephew; he looked more and more like Horatio's little brother every day. All the guests had arrived and when the music started playing, Horatio took a deep breath. Alexx and Yelina where Jenna's bridesmaids and walked down the aisle first.

His heart skipped a beat or two when he saw his bride walking down the aisle with her father. Jenna looked absolutely beautiful in her white dress and with her baby bump showing clearly. Jenna was six months pregnant with their child; a daughter that they would name Sarah. They didn't consider it their first child though; their first child was Kyle. After they had got married Jenna would adopt Kyle too.

Jenna's father gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek before turning her over to Horatio. The couple only had eyes for each other as the priest talked. Kyle and Ray Jr looked at them and then at each other. They sighed and just hoped that it would be over soon. Boys their age were far too impatient for weddings. They behaved perfectly; even though they were bored.

After the kiss the guests cheered and Jenna wiped away a few tears.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mister and Mrs Caine." The priest smiled.

Horatio pulled Jenna in for another kiss before walking down the aisle with her. It was thanks to her that he had learnt to love again. Horatio knew that he would spend the rest of his life happily married to Jenna.

_**Please review!**_

***Editor's Note: We hope you've enjoyed this...Thanks for ALL the reviews...It kept us going. Alisa123 & Daxy**


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